Universe Falls Oneshots
by Blazer333
Summary: A collection of oneshots that are based on the amazing crossover story, Universe Falls, by MiniJen. (Cover also by MiniJen!)
1. Introduction

**Hey everybody!**

 **This is a collection of oneshots I decided to write based on the wonderful Steven Universe/Gravity Falls story,** ** _Universe Falls_** **by MiniJen! I started to just post these on MiniJen's Tumblr page, but I decided to bring them over here for a more general audience. First, I'd like to thank Miss Jen for supporting me with all of my writing and praising my portrayal of Bill Cipher. Apparently, I have a really good talent for writing for a psychopathic dream demon, so take that as you will! Secondly, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for taking the time to read some of my writing. I know that some of you are from the blog, so again, thank you all for your support!**

 **Now, these first couple oneshots are based around foreshadowing for Arc 8 chapters Rifts, Memories, and Dimensions. If you want more information on that, check out the Mast List that Miss Jen posted on her Tumblr. Also, I should mention that some of these oneshots that have Bill in it can get a little dark. I wouldn't exactly call it "totally messed up" but I will say that it might be a step above how Miss Jen writes him. (Possibly on the same level as Sock Opera)**

 **However, if that doesn't bother you, feel free to read and review!**


	2. Tearing Me Apart

Tearing Me Apart

It wasn't often that Garnet had felt this way. This feeling of uneasiness was rather foreign to the fusion given her ability to see into the future. While it was true that future vision could only provide glimpses into possible future, it had always given her some sense of what to do and what to expect. However, recent events had made feel a little uneasy about the future. From Stanford's recent return, Peridot's rather sudden change of alliance, Pearl's reckless actions with fusion and the Gems finally confronting a threat they never thought they would see again, things were becoming a bit…complicated. It was for that reason why Garnet had decided to sequester herself into the Temple for some much needed meditation. The Gem leader thought that this time spend recollecting her thoughts would help her prepare for the undoubtedly shaking future.

The one thing that she didn't account for was the unexpected visitor that she would receive.

* * *

Garnet was rather startled when she opened her eyes. Rather than the room she used to have some privacy, she was met with a sight that she was all too familiar with. She was standing in the middle of a landscape that once was used as a battlefield during the Gem war thousands of years ago. However, unlike the usual ones that were teeming with life and greenery, the one she was at was completely barren. The sky was grey and the ground beneath her was a lifeless, dirt brown that stretched on for miles. Broken weapons were scattered across the field, which gave the Gem leader a grim reminder that this was a battle that the Crystal Gems had heavy losses here.

Before the fusion could further comprehend what was going on, she felt a slight chill. It was if the frigid winds that draped the field were swirling around her. Frantically looking around, Garnet became even more unsettled when what appeared to be Gem shards rain down from the sky. While at first the shards appeared to be falling at random, it became clear to Garnet that the shards were falling around her in the eerie shape of a triangle of all things. Finally, the fusion heard a laugh. A laugh that she until recently thought that she would never have to her again. It was then that it was clear to her who was behind this madness.

"Come out already," she growled. "There's no use hiding anymore!"

As if on cue, Bill Cipher materialized out of thin air in front of her. The dream demon looked exactly like how Garnet last saw him which, in retrospect, was a sore sight to look at.

" _Well well well_ ," Bill said rather mockingly. " _Sure has been awhile huh, Fuse Box? How've you been? Still leading those Crystal Chumps around, if you can even call that leading_?"

The fusion wasted no time in summoning her gauntlets; more than prepared to use them in a fight. "Leave now Cipher! You have to right being here!" she screamed. In that moment, Garnet was rather glad that she had her shades on. Bill probably couldn't see it, but there was legitimate fear in all three of the fusion's eyes.

" _Yeesh, you need to calm down there, Fuse Box._ " Bill stated in rather non-caring tone. At this, he then summoned his cane right out of his hands and began spinning it around. " _Truth of the matter is I'm not really here to talk to you. I'm here to talk to THEM!_ "

Before Garnet could even question what he meant, the sadistic triangle shot a bright yellow blast from the end of his cane. What followed was some of the worst pain that she had felt in her rather long existence. The pain slowly spread through her entire body from arms to her face. Oddly enough, this was something oddly familiar to her, as of recently. Before she could realize what it was, Garnet was covered in a blinding light and then split apart.

Ruby and Sapphire both flew in opposite directions from each other. They were both dazed and confused about what was happening and why they were suddenly apart. Sapphire was the first one to regain her sense. The blue Gem looked up to Bill, laughing in the air, then down to Ruby who was looking disheveled from the recent events. "Ruby!" she cried out to her partner.

"Sapphire!" Ruby panicked and started rushing towards the blue Gem. "Don't worry, I'm right her-" Before she could finish, blue ethereal chains shackled down Ruby and Sapphire to the ground by their arms and legs. The worst part of this predicament was that, no matter how much they reached out, their hands were mere millimeters from each other. Knowing that the only being that really put her at peace was just out of her reach drove Ruby absolutely crazy.

Before the pair could cry out to each other more, Bill decided to float down to their level; hands on his sides. " _Ah ah ah, no touching now. Don't want to send the children a 'controversial' message!_ " Bill stated, laughing at how neither of the Gems would understand what he was implying. The demon then floated down to Sapphire and getting uncomfortably close to her. " _Now I don't think we've been properly introduced yet, Ice Box. Name's Bill Cipher! Nice peeper you got there!_ " Bill then raised one of his claw-like fingers to lift Sapphire's bangs, revealing her sole eye. " _Depth perception soooo overrated, am I right?_ "

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU STUPID TRIANGLE!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs. Seeing the demon so close to the blue Gem made her struggle even more against her chains.

Bill rolled his eye at the red Gem's temper tantrum and float back into the air. " _Yeesh Short Fuse, it's not like was trying to steal away your stupid girlfriend. You that insecure about yourself that you think that anyone would steal her away? That's sure is pathetic! Though Ice Box might be that kind of girl. Ha ha!_ "

Before Ruby could confront the dream demon on such a terrible remark, Sapphire finally decided to speak up. "Ruby don't!" she warned her. "He's just trying to make you angry. Just try to ignore him. I know your stronger than-" before the elegant Gem could finish, a new set of chain were summon to completely cover her mouth.

" _Stronger Than Me_?!" Bill interrupted. " _Save the over dramatic songs for the crazy shippers, Ice Box, cause I need you both to focus on what I have to say_." Seeing how they had no other choice, the pair reluctantly gave the triangle their attention. " _You see, I've been making important plans as of late. Making deals with both new and old friends. Now I'm starting to deal with some…obstacles that might get in the way. And I know that Fuse Box is going be a BIG obstacle. So, do you know what I'm going to do?"_

Ruby may not have been the smartest Gem on the team, but even she could figure out what would happen next. The thought alone caused hot tears to well up in her eyes. It was one of her worst nightmares and, if she was rather honest with herself, would prefer being shatter instead of the alternative. "N-no…please don't." was all the red Gem could mutter. Sapphire could only bow her head in absolute dread.

" _That's right! I'm gonna leave you two right here, just like this! Course you'll be just a statue in the physical world. I highly doubt the rest of those Crystal Chums or those Mystery Twerps will figure out what's really going on though. But enough about that, think about how great this will be for you two! Spending the rest of eternity, just staring at each other!_ " Bill then decided to float right next to Ruby. " _How does it feel, Short Fuse? Looking at Ice Box like that, all trapped and sad? All that time and sacrifice for her completely washed away! I've seen some big screw ups in my day, but this one's a doozy! You don't deserve her affection, all you deserve is to see her SUFFER_!"

That was the final straw for fiery Gem. At that last sentence, it appeared that her entire body spontaneously combusted into flames. Bill start to back away as the fire started growing. " _Oh for crying at loud Short Fuse_ ," Bill said rather annoyed. " _There's no other way out of this. Just give up!_ "

"I AM NOT GIVING UP! YOU THINK THAT THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM SAPHIRRE?! I DEFYED FATE FOR HER! I BETRAYED HOMEWORLD FOR HER! I LOVE HER! AND WHEN I GET BOTH OF US OUT OF HERE, YOU'RE DEAD! YOU HERE ME?!" Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs. Sapphire was feeling rather conflicted about this. On one hand, she hated seeing her act this angry and hateful. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but be moved by her passionate words.

Bill just stared at Ruby for a few moments. He looked rather annoyed, but it also appeared that he was contemplating something as well. Finally, the dream demon did something rather unexpected. " _Hmph, you might have point, Short Fuse._ " he said as he snapped his fingers. The chains that bounded the two Gems suddenly disappeared. Ruby's flames disappeared and she wasted no time in rushing over to Sapphire and embracing her. She even gave the blue Gem a delicate kiss to show her overwhelming affection for her.

However, Bill then decided to interrupt the tender moment. " _You two are more trouble than you're worth, you know that? Frankly, I don't have the time or energy to deal with your gross, sappy love._ " Both of the Gems could only glare at the triangle for insulting what they held so precious. "Hmmmm," Bill mused. " _Maybe I've been going about this the wrong way. Maybe I should aim for someone a bit more…. fragile. Maybe I should go visit a rather recent fusion who could really benefit from a visit from yours truly._ "

Both of the Gems were rather confused about what the demon just said. Over the years, they never really came across any fusion that were especially unstable. Sugilite was the first one to come to mind, but they hardly doubted that's who Bill was talking about. However, Sapphire finally then realized who the demon was referring to. A rather new fusion that was still feeling a little uncomfortable with his new existence. "Nooo! the blue Gem cried out. "You can't do that to Stepper!"

" _Oh, I think I can, Ice Box. I think it's about Pine Bud finally realize how hard reality can really be! Pine Tree and Rose Bud have been thorns in my side for long enough._ " The dream demon started to float back into the air. " _What's that saying: Kill two birds with one stone? Well I don't think I'll do that right away! I wanna see the look on Pine Bud's face as he's suffering! Who knows, maybe he'll do the job for me? And to think, I would have never come to this conclusion if it was for you two! Well, I better get going now! I need to come up with some BIG plans for Pine Bud. Until then, I'LL BE WATCHING YOU!_ "

And with a bright flash, Bill Cipher had disappeared.

* * *

Garnet woke up in a cold sweat and completely out of breath. She frantically looked around to confirm that she was back in the Temple. She then looked down to her hands to make sure who she really was. Indeed, both of her gemstones were resting in her palms, so she closed her hands and wrapped herself in a tight self-hug. "It's okay, I'm right here." She reassured herself. The Gem leader just encounter something that threated her very existence. Something that almost destroyed what years of love, care and respect had built up. However, while she was safe from that threat, others weren't. Steven and Dipper were both in grave danger, and she couldn't help but feel guilty for somehow putting them in that danger.

"I'm right here."


	3. Necessary Seperation

Necessary Separation

A sequel to Tearing Me Apart

"Wait, what do you mean we can't fuse anymore?" Dipper asked Garnet, who was rather confused about the fusion's sudden request.

It had been about a day since Garnet had that terrible experience with Bill. The Gem leader was completely shaken after that and had to spend the first few hours recuperating her mind and body. While she wasn't going to physically spit apart, there still was a rather noticeable divide between Ruby and Sapphire in her mind. After she felt like she was in control again, Garnet then had to confront the tough decision she would have to make. Mabel and Connie were occupied with something else in town, so Garnet summoned both Dipper and Steven to the Temple and sat them both down on the couch right under the loft.

"What I mean," the fusion calmly stated. "Is that I feel that you two should avoid fusing; at least for the time being." Garnet had been regretting to have this talk with the boys. Fusion was very sensitive subject her, seeing how it almost created a huge schism between the Crystal Gems just a few weeks ago. However, Garnet knew that this was something that could neither be avoided or ignored.

Steven was silent for a few moments, but decided to speak his mind on this request. "B-but I thought you liked Stepper? You seemed to be so proud of us when we finally found the harmony."

"No!" Garnet quickly corrected her protégé. "I was proud, I AM proud that both of you could fuse and achieve harmony!" The fusion was clearly struggling with how to go about this issue. "I just think that…maybe it would be best if Stepper would take a back seat, with everything that has happened these past few weeks."

"So why aren't Mabel and Connie here too?" Dipper asked. "Shouldn't you also be telling them that they can't form Maven or Stevonnie either? Or is it just us for some reason?" Garnet replied simply with just a tired sigh. Dipper's inquisitive nature was both his best and most aggravating trait in her opinion. She was expecting some resistance from the boys, but that didn't mean she was ready for it.

Dipper was starting to become frustrated by this. He really thought that the Gems were truly honest and supportive of him and the rest of the kids by now. He had proven to them time and time again over the summer that they were more than capable of handling everything that had been thrown at them. Now here he was, being told that he suddenly couldn't do something that had earned high praise from the Gem leader. Before he could protest further, Steven interrupted again.

"Garnet," Steven gently asked, "Did you see something in the future? Something….bad happening to Stepper?" While Steven absolutely loved all the fusions that he could achieve with his closest friends, he still didn't want to see them get hurt from something only he could be responsible for.

Garnet was inwardly grateful that Steven could move the conversation forward when she couldn't. "Yes Steven, I believe Stepper might be put into grave danger. My future vision was fuzzy, but it did reveal something about Stepper that…worried me. That's why I believe you should avoid forming Stepper, so that we could prevent something like that from happening." Garnet had to use these euphemisms carefully here, so that she wouldn't completely scare the boys like the last time she told them about her clairvoyant ability.

This was enough to reassure Steven on this whole situation. The last thing he'd want to do would be to put his closest friends in harm's way, like he had multiple times this summer. However, Dipper was not as easily satisfied. While it was true that he was wary and honestly uncomfortable with fusion at first, the boy learned both the pros and the cons of fusion. He became proud that he was able to experience such a difficult and unique ability that only two other humans could share with the young Gem.

"W-well, what if you're wrong?" Dipper blurted out, much to both Garnet and Steven's surprise. Dipper then realize what he just implied and hurried to explain himself. "I mean, future vision has been wrong before, right? You couldn't see the stuff about the portal or Great Uncle Ford. Maybe this is another slip up, can't that be right?"

Now Garnet was started to become a bit annoyed. "Those were completely different circumstances, Dipper. Circumstances that I am still trying to figure out for myself. But this time, I know that this is for real. I know that this is real and can be potentially dangerous if ignore."

"Oh, so you're suddenly able to suddenly able to tell which visions are real and which ones are not?!" Dipper started to argue with the fusion. "Because to me, it sounds like you're just taking random guesses at this point! What danger is exactly threating Stepper? Bill? Homeworld? Why won't you tell us?!"

Garnet truly wanted to tell the boys exactly what happened. She wanted to tell them that Bill visited her and proceeded to torment Ruby and Sapphire and then threated to hurt Stepper. But if she told them, they would constantly be in fear and looking over their shoulders. They would know that it was really her that inspired Bill to target the boys like this in the first place. She couldn't have that on her conscious, she just wanted them to trust her so that she could keep them safe. "I….don't know," she solemnly, much to Dipper's continued aggravation. "it's hard to make out."

Steven started to notice things were spiraling out of control, so tried his best to lower the tension. "Dipper, maybe we should take Garnet's advice on this? I mean, what if she-" before the young Gem could finish, Dipper then stood up and snapped at him. "No Steven, I'm not letting this go! Why are you so calm about this?! Why aren't you taking my side?! Don't you like being Stepper, don't you like fusing with me?" Steven immediately felt guilty and tried to defend himself. "No! It's not that, Dipper. Of course I love being Stepper with you! It's just that-"

"Enough." Garnet firmly stated. The Gem leader didn't want it to come to this, but enough was enough. Steven and Dipper needed to understand what she was doing was for their best interest. If she had to be uncharacteristic hard towards the kids to protect them, she would do just that. "The point of the matter is that I saw something that I didn't like! Something that could lead to some very bad consequences if ignored. Even if there is just a small chance of that happening, we still need to take measures to prevent it. Even if it means that I have to put my foot down and-"

"And what, forbid us from fusing?! Like Homeworld?!" Dipper suddenly cried out. He was so focused and upset that he didn't even notice Garnet's hands tighten up into fists and started shaking. "Isn't that what Ruby and Sapphire did back then?! They fused ever though Homeworld forbade it! They knew that they would be shattered for it, but they did it anyway because they knew that there was nothing wrong with it! So where do YOU get off saying that me and Steven can't fuse for the same reason?! If you forbid us fusing, you'd be no different from Homeworld! YOU'D BE JUST LIKE THE DIAMONDS!"

"ENOUGH!" Garnet had finally had enough and slammed her fist on the small table that was in between her and the boys. Even though she wasn't wearing her gauntlets, she was easily able to shatter the piece of furniture into tiny pieces. What followed was a dreaded silence that seemed to suffocate the room in both awkwardness and despair.

Garnet immediately felt regret over her unnecessary outburst and seeing the boys as a result. Steven looked scared and concerned, a sight that made the fusion's heart ache even more. Dipper was just glaring at the floor, but she could tell that he felt some regret to what he said. This was exactly what Garnet dreaded about this talk. How could she just tell the boys to not to fuse? The very thing that made Garnet who she was and what she stood for. She was so proud when she met Stevonnie, and grew even more proud when she met Maven and Stepper. And now here she was, doing the exact same thing that she ran away from Homeworld. She needed to make this right, before it was too late. Garnet kneeled to the ground so that she was on Steven and Dipper's eye level.

"Dipper." She said gently. Dipper reluctantly looked up only to see that the Gem leader had removed her shades to reveal her three saddening eyes. Dipper knew that this was a sign that she was serious, so he decided to let her speak. Steven also walked next to Dipper so that he could hear what the fusion had to say as well. "Before you and Mabel arrived here in Gravity Falls, Steven was the center of our world. Rose might have left me, Amethyst and Pearl, but she left behind something that, arguably, brought us even more joy than we could ever ask for." She gestured towards Steven, who had tears welling up in his eyes from his caretaker's sweet words.

Garnet then looked back to Dipper. "We thought that only Steven would be able to touch our hearts like that. But then you two came along. You and Mabel showed us time and time again that you both had more heart, determination and bravery than most humans that we've known. In time, we couldn't help but feel attached to the both of you; like you became a part of our crazy world but we enjoyed your presence anyway.

Dipper could only stare at the fusion in awe. He could tell that she meant every word that she was telling him. "L-like family?" he could only mutter. The fusion gave him a small smile that had admittedly made him feel much better than how this conversation had started.

"You could certainly put it like that." She told him. "Ask Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis and even Peridot and they'll tell you the very same thing. We're all so proud of you and Mabel, and it puts us at unease when both of you are in danger." Dipper was starting to feel a few tears in his eyes now. At the beginning of the summer, he thought the Gems only thought of him and his sister as mere annoyances that deserved to stay in the dark forever. But he was smarter than that. He learned that the Gems really did care for them both and really tried to be as honest as they could with them.

Dipper knew that Garnet was telling him the absolute truth, but he still felt like he was giving up something extremely important to him. "But what about Stepper? When I finally found the harmony with Steven, it felt…so good. Like I was still there, but it was also like I was somebody…better."

"And that's exactly what it's suppose to feel like." Garnet reassured him. "However, these visions of the future give me a really bad feeling. I actually frights me to the very core. If something were to happen to Stepper…the Gems and I would be devastated. Not just because that we would lose Steven…..but that we would lose you as well."

Garnet then embraced the boys in a tight hug. Steven, Connie and the twins as well were the light of her life and she would bet her gemstones that the other Gems felt the same way. Steven was letting a few tears escape from his eyes during the hug. The young Gem shared the exact same sentiment that Garnet had for the twins. After all they've been through together, Steven definitely considered the twins like family and was not afraid to admit it. Dipper was feeling very conflicted at the moment. He still felt like he was feeling betrayed that the fusion would forbid something he held so special, but he still returned the hug from Garnet's beautiful words.

When they separated from the hug. Dipper still looked rather sad, for he knew that Garnet still hadn't changed her mind about Stepper. "Come on Steven," the boy said rather solemnly. "Let's go find Mabel and Connie." Dipper then walked out the front door, no doubt thinking over what his next course of action would be. Steven looked to his caretaker, who simply gave him a small nod. That's all Steven needed as he rushed out the door for Dipper, knowing that the boy would definitely need the young Gem's support at this time.

The Gem leader was alone now and gave just a long sigh. She looked to the two gemstones that were in her palms just like she did yesterday. "Why does it have to be this way?" she muttered to herself. There was only a brief pause before she answered her own question. "Because it's the only way to keep them safe." She said in a calm tone.

Bill Cipher had made the fusion do something that defied her very existence: forbid fusion. It made sick to her very core and wanted nothing but make the dream demon pay for what he did to her. For now though, she had to believe that what she did was the best way to protect Steven and Dipper.

She just hoped that she wasn't too late.


	4. In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams

At the request of Miss Jen

Pacifica Northwest slowly opened up her eyes. She felt groggy and tired as if she woke up from a 48 hour sleep. When she finally came to, she was finally able to take in her surroundings. She appeared to be in one of the many dining rooms that had graced her family mansion. She was sitting in a chair at the end of a long table that stretched all the way down to the other side of the room. Perpendicular to the table, was a fireplace which already had a fire roaring inside of it. Pacifica was rather confused on how exactly she got here. The last thing she remembered was climbing into bed after a stressful day dealing with her family. Did she take up sleep walking at one point, or did one of the servants move her here as part of some dumb prank?

Pacifica was about to get out of the chair to examine the room more, but something completely unexpected happened. Thick leather straps suddenly sprang from the arms and front legs of the chair and quickly bounded themselves to Pacifica. The young heiress tried to struggle out of her binds, but the they prove to be too tight for her to move. Why was this happening? Was this another haunting? Didn't the ghost leave the mansion weeks ago when Pacifica let in those people into the party?

Before she could further question what was going on, she heard a laugh. It wasn't a laugh that she was familiar with, for this one was high pitched and rather annoying. Near the other end of the table, a bright light began shining. Before long, a bright yellow triangle appeared at the other side of the table. The triangle appeared to be wearing a bow tie and top hat, though no other clothes were visible. It had two black, skinny arms as well as legs; with only one piercing eye in the center of its body. Despite not having a mouth, the laughter seemed to be coming from the strange shape.

The triangle floated down to the chair on the other side to the table, kicked up its feet and finally spoke to the heiress. " _Well well well_ ," it said. " _It's so great that I can finally speak with you, Llama Girl! The name's Bill Cipher. You've probably never heard of me, I'm pretty obscure like that!_ " While the heiress didn't recognize the triangle at first, her mind started to click when she heard his name.

"Wait, you're that stupid dream demon that Dipper warned me about!" Pacifica exclaimed. In the weeks that Pacifica had been spending with her newly proclaimed boyfriend, Dipper had constantly shared the contents of the weird journal that he kept with her. While she normally just like to listen to him go on and on about it in that cute, dorky attitude that she liked, though she would never admit it out loud, she had payed close attention to his serious warnings of the dream demon.

" _Aww, Pine Tree told you about me_? _I didn't know he cared that much!_ " the dream demon bashfully exclaimed. " _I wouldn't have imagined he'd tell anyone on how I took his body for a joyride!_ " This statement actually confused the heiress. "Wait, what are you talking about?" she questioned. The only thing that Dipper mentioned meeting Bill Cipher was when he and his friend had to go into his great uncle's mind.

" _Oh what?!_ " the demon exclaimed. " _Pine Tree didn't tell you about our time together?! Man, so much for telling each other everything, huh? Well not a problem! Instead of telling you, why don't I SHOW you!_ " With a snap of his fingers, the triangle was engulfed in a bright, blue flame. The heiress had to shield her eyes away from the flames due to the intense brightness. When she looked back, she saw that the demon had taken a different form: her boyfriend.

Although, this version of her boyfriend was different from the one that she had come to enjoy spending time with. Instead of his usual attire and trademark cap, he was wearing what she could only describe as an extremely disheveled reverend outfit. His soft brown eyes that she sometimes caught herself looking at for too long were replaced with bright, yellow eyes that made her feel rather uncomfortable. However, there was one feature that cause her heart to drop to her stomach: the blood. His face was full of light cuts that seem to contract against his unusually pale skin. Small splotches of blood stained his black coat and white undershirt. The worst area was his left shoulder which was stained with a dark red bloodspot; meaning that is must have been a deep cut.

" _Soooo, what do ya think?!_ " the demon said as he walked towards Pacifica with a small limp. " _Pretty nifty, if I say so myself! Though I still think the whole 'two eyes' deal is overrated!_ " The heiress was rather baffled that the dream demon would take such a ghastly form. "I…what…why…the blood?" was all she could mutter. The demon then put on a rather amused grin. " _Oh yeah, I decided to see how durable Pine Tree really was. Turns out he can let out a lot of blood! Of course, I don't think he appreciated it or when I planned to toss this meat sack of the water tower! Ha ha!_ "

Pacifica was starting to become agitated at this point. Here this demon was, bragging about he maimed and possibly almost killed the boy she had come to admire these past few weeks. She decided that she had enough. "Get out of my dreams, you stupid triangle! I don't need to take this from you! Dipper told me that you're just an annoying loser! Even if you did all that stuff to him, you failed in the end! So just get out of here!"

Bill just scowled at the girl, finding it hard to believe that she would talking back to her like that. " _You know Llama Girl, I don't think I like that tone you got there._ " he said as he reached into his coat. " _Maybe_ _ **this**_ _will help you know your place!_ " As he finally pulled out what he was reaching for, Pacifica couldn't hold back a small gasp at what she saw.

The bell.

That bell had controlled the heiress life for as long she could remember. Memories of her father holding over her, giving her strict commands, came flooding back into her mind. Back then, she couldn't help but stop moving and keep her mouth shut whenever she heard it ringing. It wasn't until Dipper showed her that she didn't have to listen to a stupid bell that she was able to finally destroy the bell and cast it away from her life. "I'm…I'm not scared of that thing anymore. Dipper told me that I could ignore it and think for myself!" she yelled. It was partially the truth, but she couldn't help but flinch at the sight of it.

" _Oh really?!_ " the demon said with an evil grin. He then did the unthinkable as he started to gently move the bell back and forth. What followed was the most unbearable experience the heiress had experienced in her life. Her ears started to ache as if she was listening to extremely loud tones, despite the fact that the bell only gave off a small tinkle sound. Her entire body was paralyzed and could no longer struggle against her bindings. Her mouth was starting to clamp shut. Her mouth just closed tighter and tighter until, against all odds, appeared to just completely disappear from her face. " _Cause it looks to me that you listen to it juuuuuust fine!_ " Bill let out manic laugh.

Pacifica couldn't believe what was happening to her. This was starting to become less of a dream and more of one of her worst nightmares. She thought she was strong enough. She though that she overcome that miserable part of her life. But now here she was, submitting to that stupid piece of metal again. She wanted to scream and shout at how horrible this situation was, but all she could let out was a muffled cry. " _Aw, isn't this nice Llama Girl?!_ " the demon taunted the girl. " _You just sitting there, being told what to do and look pretty. Just like how you were supposed to be raised! Now just sit there and listen!_ " Bill walked towards the fireplace as Pacifica was forced to listen to him, wet tears in her eyes.

" _So Llama Girl, I bet that you think that little stunt you pulled at your family's party makes you feel good about yourself, right? Pine Tree, Shooting Star and Rose Bud telling you that you've changed and all that stuff?_ _ **WELL YOU'RE WRONG**_ _!_ " the Demon suddenly yelled. " _Truth of the matter is that you're the same spoiled brat that you've always been! I've been around in this crummy dimension for a while now, and I know for a fact that meat sacks like you don't change! And don't think I don't know about that garbage that Bird Brain has been feeding you. I'm of course talking about the Crystal Chump you've been hanging out with!_ "

At first, Pacifica was a bit confused about who the dream demon was referring to, but eventually was able to put it together. A little while after the party, Pacifica got an unexpected visitor. It was Pearl from that Crystal Gem group that the Pine twins always seemed to hang out with. At first, the heiress was confused about why the white Gem would visit her, considering that her family had a rather strained relationship with the aliens. However, Pearl stated that she wanted to talk to her after hearing about her father's "parenting" techniques.

The white Gem explained that back on her home planet, she was in similar position the heiress was in. Pearl said that the only purpose of her race was to simply just stand around, do menial tasks and look pretty enough. This sounded all too familiar to Pacifica, so she was able to sympathize with the Gem more easily. Pearl then explained that it took someone that truly cared about her to make her realize that she didn't have to choose that life and make something more with it. Pacifica couldn't help but blush as it also took a certain dorky boy that cared for her to make her come to the same conclusion. From that point on, Pacifica often met with Pearl to talk more about this shared epiphany and also talk about how Pacifica could be a proper lady without conforming to the snobby Northwest way.

However, Bill snapped her back to reality so that he could continue to mock her. " _Truth is Bird Brain was just a lowly boot licker back where she was from, and she always will be! You're headed for the same fate, Llama Girl. Sooner or later, you'll just end up as a dumb trophy wife to some rich geezer who could care less about how much you breathe! This stupid day dream you have about being with Pine Tree and living happily ever after I a pipe dream, got it?_!"

Pacifica wanted to scream at the triangle at how wrong he was. She truly felt like she'd changed over these few weeks. She became nicer and more considerate about how she treated those around her. Ever since she started dating Dipper, it was like whole new world was opened up to her. A world that had friends and acquaintances that cared about her. A world where she didn't have to follow in her family's terrible footprints. A world where she could experience true love. However, that was impossible due to her lack of a mouth.

The dream demon must have picked up on her train of thought. " _Yeah yeah, I bet you're trying to say that you really have changed and dumb trash like that, but that's not I was talking about with Pine Tree. Nah, I got BIG plans for both Pine Tree and Rose Bud as well. And by the time I'm done with him…,_ " Bill then picked up a knife that was on the table and lightly sliced it across his throat, much to Pacifica's shock. Blood trickled down from his throat and further stained his undershirt. " _He's gonna be a little too deceased to care about you!_ "

Tears were now streaming out of Pacifica's eyes at this point. Was this demon really going to kill Dipper? Was he really going to take away the first person to make her feel truely happy? " _Well I better get going Llama Girl!_ " Bill said with a twisted grin. " _Keep in mind about what I said about how your life is a miserable excuse of a fantasy. Enjoy Pine Tree while you can, CAUSE HE'LL BE GONE SOONER THAN YOU THINK!_ "

And with that, the demon held out his arms and slowly leaned back into the fireplace. As soon as his body fell into the flames, the entire room erupted into blue flames. Bill's laughter echoed throughout the room and as the blue flames closed in on Pacifica. Still paralyzed and mouthless, all the heiress could close her eyes and wait for the inevitable.

* * *

Pacifica woke up screaming and flailing in her bed. Hyperventilating, she looked around to make sure she was still in her room and put her hands to her mouth to make sure it was still there. Once she made sure that everything where it should be, the heiress started to calm down. However, she was still shaken from a nightmare that seemed all too real. She doubted her parents heard her scream, since their room was all the way across the mansion. Pacifica needed to talk to someone about this. She reached for her phone and called the first person that came to mind.

"Hello?" Dipper's groggy voice sound through the smartphone. "Dipper! I-" was all that Pacifica could say before she realized what she was doing. She was calling her boyfriend in the middle of the night because she had a bad dream. How old was she? "I-I had a nightmare. I'm sorry I called, I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry."

After a brief pause, Dipper answered back. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he said in a tired voice. Pacifica was surprised that he didn't hang up right away. Was he really going to stay up all night just to comfort him from a nightmare? "I…maybe tomorrow." She said. "Can I come see you tomorrow so we can talk about it?"

"Sure Paz, come over if you need to." Pacifica couldn't help but smile at the nickname that the boy started giving her. "Thanks. Alright, goodnight Dipper. I lo-look forward to seeing you tomorrow." She stuttered then she hung up the phone.

Pacifica spent an hour browsing through her phone, examining all the photos and selfies that she and Dipper took together to help calm her down. However, she couldn't get the last thing Bill told her out of her mind. Was Bill really going to hurt Dipper? It was a thought that made her feel uneasy and nervous. She didn't want him to get hurt or worse. He had just become an important part of her world now. What would she do if he was gone? The heiress pushed those thoughts away as she slowly drifted off to sleep again.

She couldn't lose Dipper. Not when she needed him the most.


	5. Broken Swords and Broken Promises

Broken Swords and Broken Promises

When Connie Maheswaran opened her eyes, she expected to wake up in her bedroom. Her parents had still insisted that she continue her violin practice, despite the fact that she had pretty much mastered the instrument by this point. That combined with hanging out with Steven and the twins, she was considerably tired by the end of the day. The last thing she remembered was practically leaping into her bed and clonking out for the night. Which is why she was surprised to find herself in the Sky Arena. She was in her normal combat training garb rather than her sleepwear and with a normal sword that had somehow appeared at her side.

The Sky Arena was still as magnificent as she always remembered it. The puffy, roving clouds and tall, pristine pillars always gave her a sense of nostalgia. It was here that she and Dipper trained together under Pearl's tutelage to master swordsmanship. While the training was difficult, it no doubt improved her skill with a blade. It was also here that Steven finally convinced her that she would never have to face the oncoming dangers alone. They would always be together side by side and, if she was being honest with herself, that was when she felt the most comfort and confident. Indeed, the Sky Arena did hold a special place in her memories.

Unfortunately, tonight it would hold a special place in her nightmares.

She was about to contemplate more about how and why she was here when the wind appeared to swirl around her. This was rather odd considering that it hardly got this windy this high up in the Arena. Then two of the columns that were behind her inexplicitly tipped over, colliding into one another. The girl was confused at first, but then slowly realized that the leaning columns almost made the shape of a triangle. Soon enough, a bright light began shine in the middle of said shape and she had to shield her eyes from its intensity. When she uncovered her eyes, she saw a figure that she had burned into her mind from references in the journal, and she heard a laugh that she was all too familiar with.

Bill Cipher ceased his deranged cackling and floated down to the battle-ready girl. " _Well well well,_ " he began. " _If it isn't Sword Swinger herself! I believe we've only met when I was test driving Pine Tree! So, this would be my normal body, what do think, pretty snazzy huh?_ " the Demon asked while adjusting his bow-tie.

"Bill!" the young knight scream. As if she were driven by instinct, the girl grabbed her sword and immediately lunged toward the demon for a lethal attack. However, Connie only seemed to phase right through the triangle; landing right behind him. While the girl was still confused about what just happen, Bill just turned around looking rather amused.

" _Yeesh Sword Swinger, have a guy say one sentence and you're already trying to kill him! Talk about paranoooooid!_ " the dream demon said. He then snapped his fingers and blue, ghastly chains appeared and shackled Connie by the ankles. The girl tried to use her sword to slash the chains, but the blade simply phased through the chains much like how it did with the dream demon. Bill then took this opportunity to swipe the sword from Connie's hands. " _I'll take that! I don't think that a girl like you should be wielding something so pointy!_ "

The sadistic triangle decided to take a good look into the eyes of the chained girl. Connie was staring daggering at the demon. She would not let this demon get the best of her. She was strong; Pearl taught her how to be brave and how to stand up to threats like Bill. " _You know, I think there's something missing about you. Oh, I know_!" Bill exclaimed as he suddenly slapped his hand onto Connie's face. " _There we go, that's much more fitting for you_!"

Connie hesitantly lifted her hand to her face to see just what Bill did to her. Her hands brushed against something that hadn't expected to feel on her face again: her glasses. Connie had stopped wearing her glasses back when her parents found out that her eyes were magically healed. It was a sign of the new chapter in her life with Steven. When she tried to remove the glasses off her face, but she just couldn't. It was if the glasses were glued to her face no matter how much she struggled to take them off. "Why…why did you put these back on?"

The dream demon simply chuckled at the girl's suffering. " _Oh, I just thought you'd prefer to be what you really are. A meek, nerdy little girl instead of some idiot playing with swords. Besides, glasses are suppose to make you smarter right? Well, you're gonna need to be for the little topic that we need to discuss._ " Bill then summoned something into his hand with flick of a wrist: a Rose Quartz gemstone.

Connie knew exactly who Bill was talking about, and she became livid about it. This psychopath would dare invade her sleep just to taunt her about one of her closest friends? Well, she would have none of that. No way would she let this demon get to her by threating the boy that had changed her life and gave it new direction. "You leave Steven out of this!" she yelled out. She was no damsel in distress, she was a knight; she was Steven's knight.

" _Yeah, afraid I can't do that, Sword Swinger,_ " Bill said as he spun around the sword in one hand while tossing the gemstone up and down in the other. " _You see, your 'Jam Bud' has been a real annoyance in my plans as of late. He's a lot like his dear old mom in that sense. Anyway, I think it's about time I finally deal with him and Pine Tree once and for all. And if you were smart, you would stay out of my way that you don't get hurt!_ "

"Over my dead body!" Connie blared out. She was not going to intimidated by a sadistic geometric shape. "I don't care if I have to stop you in my mind or in the real world, you are **NOT** going to hurt Steven! Pearl told me a knight always stays by her liege and always protect him. Well Steven is **MY** liege, so if you want to get to him, you have to deal with me! Got it?!"

At first, the dream demon seemed just stare at the girl, betraying no emotion. However, he then started to laugh as if he had heard something rather hilarious and stupid. " _YOU, a knight?! Don't make me laugh_ ," he said as he floated down in front of her. " _Bird Brain has been filling you and Pine Tree with some complete nonsense! You think that just because you can swing a piece a metal around that you can protect anybody? How can you protect Rose Bud when you can't even stop me from doing THIS!_ "

At that, the dream demon suddenly thrusted the sword right through Connie, giving the allusion that he had pierced right through her heart. The sadistic triangle let go of the weapon and backed away to admire his handiwork. Connie could only just stare down at the hilt of the sword that had just been embedded her chest in complete awe. Dark red blood was oozing out of the wound; soaking her outfit in a sickly velvet. Her first thought was to scream in complete agony from the pain that would undoubtedly arise from this injury. However, she was rather surprised to find that there was no pain that followed. She put her hand to her injury, cringing slightly when she felt how warm the blood had felt against her skin. Even without the pain, the experience was able to completely shake the girl's fortitude.

" _Yeah, I might not be able to physically harm you here, but can sure as heck give you a preview on what to expect when you pretend to be something you're not! You can flail around Quartzy's girly butter knife all you want, but it's not going to prevent you from getting skewered by someone who really know what they're doing!_ " Bill told the girl condescendingly. He then floated above her; holding out the Rose Quartz gem. Connie's eyes widen and prayed that Bill wouldn't do what she thought he was going to do. " _And while you're lying there, life draining from your eyes, you'll see Rose Bud just staring at you and realizing that it was all his fault. He'll be so overcome with grief that he won't even see his pathetic existence suddenly getting…..CRUSHED!_ " The dream demon forcefully closed his hand around the gemstone; making a sickening crushing sound.

Connie felt like it was her heart in the triangle's hand that had been crushed into dust. She was smart enough to know that wasn't really Steven's gemstone, but that didn't stop the image of the pink stone being destroyed hurt any less. Throughout the summer, there was a tiny thought that was always been in the back of her mind. Sometimes, it would only pass for a few seconds, other times it would keep the girl up all night. Whether it was short lived or not, a single situation always seemed to plague her mind: What if she failed? What she failed to keep Steven safe from all the supernatural dangers that they and the twins have faced? What if she failed to make it to him in time, and Steven would pay the ultimate price for it? What if she failed and then had to face his father and his guardians about her fault in his demise? What if she failed to tell him how she really felt and how much of an impact that the young Gem had made in his life?

All of these scenarios were playing through her head as she watched the demon essentially crush her entire life. To add insult to injury, Bill opened his hand and slowly let the dust rain down on the girl. Connie simply bowed her head, unable to witness what was happening above her. Small, sparkly bits of pink glitter appeared to float softly down from the sky. It would have been strangely pretty if didn't represent the end of one Connie's closest friends. Hot tears were started streaming down her cheeks. Here she was, glasses back on her face, a sword right through her chest and kneeling down under a snow of Steven's shattered gem. A complete failure.

Bill then float back down to Connie and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder. " _You see Sword Swinger_?" Bill began. " _All Rose Bud is going to lead you to is pain, regret and suffering. I would say that this is surprising, but Quartzy pretty much did the same thing to Bird Brain back in the day. If I were you, I would just go back to the way you used to be. A sad, quiet girl who just kept to herself and understood her place. But don't worry though, I doubt that Rose Bud will even realize that you're gone. Seeing how he'll probably be in a million little shards when I'm done with him!_ "

Just then, something inside of Connie just snapped. She opened her eyes with an intensity that she had never experienced before. She had decided that enough was enough. She then used both hands to grab the sword hilt that was embedded in her chest and pulled it out of her in one swift motion. She still didn't feel any pain, but it was still rather unpleasant as she finally removed the sword from her wound. The tip of the sword seemed to be caked with her blood, but that hardly mattered to her. The girl then pointed the bloody sword toward Bill while glaring right into his singular eye. "You listen to me right now. I will never leave Steven's side, and Steven will never leave my side. He makes me feel strong, he makes me feel brave and he makes me feel appreciated! Maybe I was weak before, but I'm not anymore! I AM a Crystal Gem, and I know that one day: Dipper, Mabel, Steven and I will stop you for good! I swear on my oath as a knight to Steven Quartz Universe!"

At first, Bill appeared to be rather surprised at this. He wasn't expecting the girl to bounce back from this so quickly. However, he managed to put on a rather unimpressed expression. He was about to let this girl think that she had caught him off guard. " _Pfft, whatever you say, Sword Swinger. I'm only telling you what's going to happened to you if you keep this up. You think you Mystery Twerps are going to stop me? Don't make me laugh. Greater men have tried and utterly failed at it! If you're not going to listen to sense, then I'm out of here! So long Sword Swinger, I'll be seeing your corpse on the battlefield later!_ "

Bill Cipher gave a snap of his fingers and him, Connie and the Arena were enveloped in a bright light.

* * *

Connie rose up from her bed with a slight gasp. She quickly recollected what had happened with Bill and quickly examined her chest. She confirmed that there was no bloody wound from the sword and put her hand to her face in relieve. Only for her heart to skip a beat as she felt that her glasses had somehow managed to be put on her face. Terrified, she immediately ripped them off her face and through them across the room. Once she realized that was no long dreaming and calmed down, she slowly laid back down onto her bed. Her mind was swimming with what Bill had said to her in the dream. The vision of Bill crushing the pink gem in his hands still made feel queasy.

"I'll protect you." The knight whispered to herself. "I'll protect you, Steven. I won't fail you."


	6. Never-Ending Regret

Never-Ending Regret

To Pearl, nothing was a better use of free time than meditation. Whenever things were getting too strenuous for the White gem, all she would have to do was to retreat back to her room in the Temple and simply sit down and listen. She would listen to the running water that flowed and pooled all throughout her room and that would later fall into the depths of Amethyst's room. She always kept her eyes shut because it helped her visualize her thoughts in her mind. Whether it was battle strategies for facing corrupted gems or simply how to deal with Stan and Amethyst's constant annoyances, this was what helped her best.

Today was no different as she was in the middle of one of her more "zoned-out" sessions as Amethyst would called them. She'd been in her room for hours now. A lot had particularly happened during this summer. The Gem's trust network was tested and they had faced more than a few major threats to their way of life. All of this had been rather strenuous on her, so her meditation had been more in-depth than usual. Eventually, the white Gen decided that she had spent enough time for one day and slowly opened her eyes.

While she expected to open her eyes to her usual surroundings, she received a rather unsettling sight. She had opened her eyes to one giant eye. Pearl suddenly jumped back in surprised, only to receive yet another shock. Instead of her room, she was on a lone platform that floating in the void space that once was her room. She looked down only to see that the bottom was nothing but a black void. She then turned her head to the sound of laughter, and then was taken aback when she stared at something she thought she would never have to deal with again.

Bill Cipher slowly hovered in front of the White gem, arms crossed and looking rather smug. " _Well well well,_ " he began. " _Look what we have here, a complete shut-in trying to make sense of this crazy universe. You do realize how dumb you look when you meditate, right Bird Brain? All that 'inner peace and tranquility' stuff isn't gonna help with the rest of the massive problems you have! Ha ha_ "

Pearl immediately summoned her spear and put on a defensive stance towards the triangle. She was smart enough to know that she couldn't physically harm him if he was appearing to her in her mind, this was more of a reflex to danger at this point. "Leave this place, you cretin," she threated. "You are NOT welcomed here or anywhere near me, my comrades and especially the kids!"

The dream demon put on what could only be a skeptical look and folded his arms. " _Oh yeah Bird Brain, you definitely care about those Mystery Twerps….NOT! Stop kidding yourself, Bird Brain! I've been watching you carefully, and the things you've done and the thoughts you've had say you barely give two shards about those brats!_ "

Pearl was more than livid at this point. Each one of the Mystery Kids had touched her heart in their own unique way. Ever since Rose had passed away, Steven had become such a shining beacon that she thought she had lost forever. The young Gem was her world, and she would do anything to keep her baby safe. And just when she thought that nothing else that special could entered her life, Steven's closest friend gave her even more love to give. Connie was such a respectable young lady, and her dedication to knighthood couldn't help but remind her of herself. It also didn't take very long for white Gem to fall victim to the Pine twins when they arrived here for the summer. While at first, she was skeptical of them due to their relation to Stan, Pearl was inevitability captivated by Mabel's charm and zeal, and Dipper's intelligence and tenacity. Pearl was so proud of the kids, and this demon was implying that she didn't care for them.

"What insanity are you blabbering about this time? Of course I care about the kids! I'm constantly concerned about their health and safety. I adore them, and I will certainly do everything in my power to make sure you don't harm them!" Pearl growled at the dream demon.

Bill simply sighed and floated right up to Pearl's face. " _Health? Safety? Yeah, I'm sure constantly worry about that while you're training Pine Tree and Sword Swinger to fail around sharp metal!_ " Bill said sarcastically. " _I mean, who the hell trains pre-teens to fight with swords?! You know, the people on this planet who train child soldiers aren't exactly seen in the best of light._ " Pearl was slightly shaken by this argument, but she was quick to counter. "I-I'm teaching Dipper and Connie to protect Steven, Mabel and themselves. I'm not doing it for my personal satisfaction. They needed my tutelage!" The dream demon simply rolled his eye at this. " _Yeah, let's hear you say that when they end up dead on the battlefield and you have to tell their parents whose fault that was_!" That blow actually caused a dent in the white Gem's conscience.

The dream demon took notice of this and decided to continue for the sake of enjoyment. " _And how about Shooting Star, otherwise known as your least favorite one out of the bunch!_ "

Pearl was rather taken back by this proclamation. "What?! What on Earth would make you think that I would hold Mabel in less regard than the rest of the kids?!" Bill was quick to give a retort to this. " _Oh, I don't know, how about the fact that you barely spend any time with her! You always jump at the opportunity to train Pine Tree and Sword Swinger into speeding up their deaths, yet you always seem to steer away from that hyperactive ball of annoyance. Name one time when it was just you and Shooting Star and nobody else?_ "

"W-well, there was that one time….no, Amethyst was with us. I mean, there was….I….I.." the white gem just trailed off into thought. She couldn't deny that Bill had a point. Throughout the entire summer, whenever she was with Mabel, there was always someone else with her, be it Dipper, Steven, or someone else. It wasn't that Pearl was necessarily trying to avoid Mabel. Sure, her overexcitement and hyperactive lifestyle was a bit tiring for the gem, she still didn't consider the girl an annoyance. Bill saw that he was starting to get to the white Gem, so he decided to enact the big finish.

" _And now for the big one: the miserable excuse of gem that is the closest thing you could ever hope to call a son!_ " As if on instinct, Pearl threw her spear with all her might at the sadistic triangle; only for him to simply dodge it. However, Pearl was quick to give an aggressive remark. "NOW YOU LISTEN HERE! You have NO RIGHT to waltz into my mind, and even insinuate that I feel nothing for Steven! He is the light of my life and has been nothing but a joy in my life! If you even THINK about harming him-"

The white Gem was suddenly interrupted by the dream demon's rather annoying laugh. " _Hahahahaha! You know how to make a guy laugh, you know that Bird Brain?_ " He then floated right behind her and started whispering in her ear. " _You don't think I know about those thoughts you had? Back in the early days, when Quartzy bit the dust and Rose Bud was just a whining little brat? You looked at that lump of flesh and all you felt was anger. Anger at Rock Star for stealing Quartzy right from under you. Anger at those other Crystal Chumps for not doing anything about it. Anger at Quartzy for leaving you behind on a planet that you only fought for just for her. And of course, anger at Rose Bud for just existing! Admit it Bird Brain, back then, you would have traded Rose Bud to get Quartzy back in a heartbeat!_ "

For a moment, Pearl had to look away from the dream demon; so that she could hide the tears that were staining her cheeks. She wanted to tell him that it was all a lie. She wanted to yell that there was never a time where she felt anything but love for the young Gem. She desperately wanted to convince herself that she never was the horrendous person that Bill had just described. The only problem was that it was true.

Back in the early days, Pearl was still heavily grieving over Rose. She had been her rock over the last few centuries, and she just couldn't believe Rose would leave her so suddenly. Garnet and Amethyst were clearly upset, but they seemed to have been able to cope with it better than the white Gem could. Back then, she had barely even left her room, content to just staying in there crying as much as she could. All she could feel at that moment was pain, anger and sadness. So when she finally saw that baby with Rose's gem stuck to its stomach, she felt somewhat disgusted. She'd always put on a neutral face when she was in the company of Greg and the Gems, but she had rather negative feelings for the infant on the inside. Deep down, she wished that this was all just a ruse and Rose would return to her the next day. But that day never came.

Pearl was on the verge of an emotional breakdown when decided to interrupt again. " _Yep, you can never take back those feelings! Although if I'm being honest with you, I'm not sure why you'd want Quartzy back. Cause let's be honest here, she'd probably leave you again in a flash. Even before Rock Star and Sixer, she had always been a little too interested in humans. Whether they male or female, she'd always wanted to get their attention. Quite simply put, she was just another woman, going from person to person, seeking their love and attention. Don't they have a word or two for that kind of girl? I guess Quartzy wasn't that complex than we all thought!_ "

Pearl had enough. She had enough of this demon demeaning her love for the kids. She had enough of this demon throwing mud at Rose's good character. She had enough of this demon telling tell what she already regretted enough. Without thinking, Pearl summoned two spears at once and lunged towards the demon. "I WILL DESTROY YOU!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She was going to end this once and for all. Unfortunately, all she could do was phase right through him. She tried to regain her footing, but she couldn't stop herself from falling off the ledge.

Pearl was about to plummet off into the dark void below her, but luckily, she was able to latch her hand on the ledge. She was about to pull herself up when Bill decided to land his foot right on her hand. Bill was ready to crush the white Gem's hand, but not before giving one last bit of advice. " _Well Bird Brain, I think I'd best be on my way. I got some big plans coming up for Pine Tree and Rose Bud, and I'm just all giddied up to see their agonizing faces! Have fun with all the memories of wanting Rose Bud dead when he was a baby! Until then, I'LL BE WATCHING YOU!_ "

With that, the dream demon stepped down on her hand, causing Pearl to plummet down into the abyss. The last thing that went through her mind was how sorry she was.

* * *

"Pearl…..PEARL WAKE UP!" The white Gem awoke to Amethyst screaming at her and shaking her awake. When Pearl regained her senses, she noticed that she had ended up in Amethyst's room, which was still an absolute pigsty. She then turned to Amethyst. "A-Amethyst? What happened? Why I am in your room?"

"I don't know, I just found you here. Maybe you fell down here, from your room? But that's not important right now. Pearl, I saw your dream, through your gem. I saw what happened." The purple Gem said solemnly. Pearl then started to remember what happened. She remembered the anger, the pain and the regret. It was only made worse when she realized that purple Gem had seen all of it. "Oh Amethyst, I'm so sorry! You shouldn't of had to see-"

The purple Gem suddenly pulled Pearl into a tight embrace. Pearl could tell that Amethyst was on the verge of crying. "Pearl, it's okay! Whatever that Bill guy said, it wasn't true! I know it wasn't true! You loved Steven! You've always loved Steven! Don't let him think otherwise!"

Pearl could let a few hot tears at this and tighten the embrace. She couldn't hide from the truth anymore. She had to face the Gem that she once was.

"No Amethyst, it was true….It was true."


	7. Clipped Wings

Clipped Wings

It was days like today that made Lapis Lazuli truly feel at home. The sky was a nice mixture of red and yellow, the temperature outside was just right and the blue Gem was perched up on her favorite spot on the silo that was nearby the barn. Lapis had made some considerable progress with Peridot ever since she had moved in to the barn. While the Homeworld refugee may have had a difficult time adjusting to the shared housing with her former detainer, she eventually grew to be amused by the green Gem's wild antics. Still, she did enjoy the times when she could go to her little spot and get some rest. While the blue Gem thought the concept of sleeping to be rather confusing, Dipper was kind enough to teach her the benefits of the human ritual.

Lapis sighed as her thoughts returned to the inquisitive boy. Ever since that fiasco at the lake, she often found her thinking about both Dipper and Steven. Ever since she was trapped in that damn mirror, those two boys had been there for her throughout her struggles. Of course, she did realize that Mabel had also been there to help as well. It wasn't that she didn't care any less for the rather hyperactive human, it was just that she didn't quite resonate with her on the same level as the boys did. Those nights out on the lake with Dipper a month ago were the first happy memories she had on this planet, and for the first time, she was beginning to have value over another being other than herself. And when she was finally free from Malachite, Steven was instantly there to convince her that she deserved a place on Earth, free to do whatever she pleased. To Lapis, those two humans had single handedly improved both her state of living and her self-esteem. She was determined to spend the rest of her days repaying those two back by protecting them from whatever the universe had to throw at them.

But she was about to discover that someone else had the exact opposite plan for Dipper and Steven.

* * *

Lapis slowly opened her eyes, still feeling a bit sluggish from her nap. She had expected to see the beautiful rural landscape that she had come to adore. However, she instead got another rather familiar sight: the cold reaches of space. This immediately put the blue Gem on full alert as she began to fully examine her surroundings. She appeared to be floating in the Earth's upper atmosphere; as she could see the planet's blue oceans and green landscape below her. Her wings were outstretched from her gem, which was obviously the only thing keeping her from plummeting to the ground. Above her were the hundreds of twinkling stars that had always graced the Earth every night. Lapis was finally able to grasp her new location. The only question was that how did she end up here?

"Wait, how did I get here?" she asked herself. She wasn't expecting to receive an answer to her question. " _Well, I thought I would put you in more familiar environment!_ " a high-pitched voice suddenly announced itself behind her. Lapis was startled by this sudden voice and moved away from the source. When she turned around, she was rather shocked to see where the voice had originated from. A bright, yellow triangle with an eye in its center floated before her. It had rather short black sticks for arms and legs and appeared to be wearing some type of hat and formal wear.

Lapis was about to press the triangle for further questioning, but it seemed to be one step ahead of her. " _Well, well, well, it's about time that I have a nice one-to-one with you, Water Wings! Guess I should probably introduce myself. The name's Bill Cipher: genius, dream traverser, and overall one handsome devil, wouldn't you think?!_ " While at first the blue Gem was totally confused at this creature's presence, the pieces in her mind finally started to click together. The water Gem was told that she had missed a lot ever since she trapped herself at the bottom of the lake with Jasper. Some things, like the return of that one human she had briefly encountered on Homeworld, were rather obvious. Other things however, had to be explained through descriptions based from the kids.

One event in particular hit the water Gem rather hard. Not long after her self-imprisonment, Dipper had spent many a sleepless night trying to find a way to save her. While Lapis was very touched by this selfless endeavor for her freedom, it quickly turned into dread as she discovered its terrible consequences. Dipper had admitted that in his restless search for an answer, he struck a bargain with a dream demon by the name of Bill Cipher. What followed was a domino effect that led to the boy losing his body to the demon, watching helplessly as it maimed his body and almost ended up losing his life. A near waterfall of tears were shed when Lapis learned to what had happen to Dipper all just to find a way to fix her mistake. So, after a long period of time involving tears, hugs and promises to never do something that reckless again, Lapis was determined to never let something like that happen to the boy who filled her with such care and affection.

But now this demon was right here, simply conversing with the gem in a rather casual mood. And Lapis certainly had a few words to say to him.

"Y-y-you!," she began, fists starting to clench at her sides. "You're that thing Dipper told me about! You're the one who took advantage of him when he was trying to save me! You're the one that took over his body and went and mutilated it! You're the one that almost _killed_ him!" Lapis wished that she was close enough to the planet so that she could manipulate the water into something to appropriately express her rage.

" _Ah yes, good old Pine Tree_ ," the dream demon began. He held out his right hand as the symbol that was on Dipper's hat appeared, gulfed in a blue flame. " _I sure had a blast run around in that body of his! Shame that I was kicked out of it so early, could have done a lot of interesting stuff while in that meat sack! Of course, he wasn't the only one that I played mind games with._ "

The demon held out his other hand, this time it was something Lapis was able to recognizes as the symbol of Rose Quartz. Watching the emblem engulfed in the same blue blaze, Lapis was able to realize who the triangle was referring to: Steven.

" _Yeah, you remember that time Rose Bud was able to talk to you in some dream-like state while you at the bottom of the lake? Well not long after that, I decided to go over to him and lay down a few hard-hitting truths. He probably didn't tell you cause I don't think he likes talking about it. You should have seen face, all terrified and confused like that! It was absolutely hilarious!_ " Bill laughed out. Lapis was rather stunned to hear that this demon had went and tormented Steven as well. Steven was one of the most kind and generous beings she had ever had the pleasure to meet. He in no way deserved to be in the same company as this mental sadist.

Lapis was growing more and more irritated. Bill had just admitted that he had tormented both boys like it was just another part of his routine. She was getting tired of him just admitting to these atrocities like it was nothing. "Why," she asked. "Why are you doing this?! Those boys have done nothing wrong to deserve this kind of treatment! Are you just doing this out of some sick, twisted pleasure?!"

The demon gave the water Gem a rather serious look with his singular eye. " _Normally, that would be the case! But Pine Tree and Rose Bud are a rather special case._ " The gestured over to the burning tree. " _Pine Tree has become a special kind of annoyance as of late. Always trying to stick his nose in places where it doesn't belong. It's interfering with carefully designed plans that are years in the making! If I have to break a few limbs to stop him from finding the truth, then I'm all for it!_ " The demon then gestured over to the burning Rose Quartz insignia. " _Now with Rose Bud, that's a little more personal. While it's true that I have some other associates that are also interested in him, I have more important matters with him. Quartzy caused me some real problems back in the day. She practically defied and humiliated me every step of the way! But before I could properly deal with her, she had to go and give up her existence for a whining brat. So, seeing Rose Bud's agonizing face as I teach him his real place in this sham of a universe will just have to do!_ "

Lapis was completely appalled by the dream demon's twisted reasoning for wanting to hurt the boys. Dipper didn't deserve to be tormented for simply wanting to uncover the truth that surrounded Gravity Falls and Steven certainly didn't deserve to face the demon's wrath just for his mother's actions. Before the water Gem could retort against these remarks, Bill decided it was time reveal his grand scheme. " _So, I think it's time I finally deal with those two once and for all! You wanna know how I'm gonna do it? Well, that's the whole reason I decided to call you up! You see Water Wings, I was thinking, and you've been a huge inspiration for my plans for those two. Let's just say that instead of wasting time and energy dealing with them separately, I think I'll deal with them when they're MASHED together!_ "

Bill suddenly smashed the two items in his hands with great force. When Lapis looked back, she looked at the new item that was in Bill's hands in complete terror. The pine tree and the insignia had morphed together into a distorted combination of the two. The twisted amalgamation was still engulfed in the bright blue flame Bill had conjured. It didn't take long for Lapis to realize what the dream demon was planning. Painful memories of Jasper and Malachite began to flood her mind. Those memories and feelings were some of the worst she had ever experience. It was only made worse when her thoughts began to process what would happen if Dipper and Steven had to experience those very feelings.

"No….NONONONONO!" The blue gem was past maintaining a calm demeaner and was on the verge a complete mental breakdown. "You CAN'T do that to them! It'll destroy them, it almost destroyed me! YOU CAN'T MAKE THEM FUSE!" When Lapis had heard that Dipper and Steven fused, she was a little surprised. Fusion was still a sore subject for her at the time, but that didn't stop her from feeling genuine pride for the boys. And now this demon was going to turn that experience in to something terrible.

However, the dream demon simply ignored her pleas. " _Oh that's the plan Water Wings! Those two are really going to find out what happens when two minds are stitched together permanently! Gotta say though, I can't take all the credit for this revelation. No, I think some of the credit should go to you and Stripes! That little lake stunt you two pulled off was hilarious! Not to mention that constant mental suffering you two went through during the process!_ " Bill then turned his back to the Gem, looking out into the cosmos and folded his arms behind him. " _You see Water Wings, I've been in this dimension for a while now. With that time, I've learned how to twist the arms of both humans and Gems alike in many ways. But THIS is something entirely new! Using fusion as form of torture is so brilliant, I can't believe I have thought of it sooner! All the opportunities I can have with Pine Tree and Rose Bud makes me all giddy inside! They're gonna wish they were dead when I'm through with them!_ "

Lapis felt like she was dying inside. Bill was planning to unleash the absolute hell that she had experienced for so long on two children that had guided her to a life worth living. The demon was going to turn a magical experience for the boys into something that could end up killing them. It only made it worse that she appeared to be the catalyst for this disaster. "Please," she practically begged him. "You can't do this to them! It's not fair, it's not right! You don't have to do this!" The blue Gem was sounding desperate at this point, but she hardly cared.

Bill simply floated there for a moment and then turned around toward the water Gem. " _You know Water Wings, you're actually right about that! I really don't necessarily have to do this to Pine Tree and Rose Bud._ " The dream demon then floated around Lapis, then wrapping his arm around her shoulder. " _It's perfectly plausible for me to leave Pine Tree and Rose Bud alone for the rest of their measly lives. But nothing's free in this world, everything has a price. But for you Water Wings, I think I can make a fair offer! All I really ask for is a small FAVOR in return!_ " Bill's eye converted into a shade of blue and his spontaneously erupted in the blue flame he had summoned before.

Lapis just eyed the demon for a second before finally coming to her senses. "What?! After what you did to Dipper when he took a deal with you?! I'd never make you with you! Even if I wasn't aware of that, I still wouldn't be stupid enough to trust you!" she shouted at the triangle. Bill rolled his eye and floated back in front of the water Gem. " _I don't know Water Wings, Pine Tree sure thought that it was worth it to save you. You're telling me that you would pass up an opportunity like this?! Hmph, maybe Stripes was right after all. I guess you really are just a monster. It would probably be safer for everyone else if you were still trapped in that dinky mirror!_ "

Lapis bowed her head at those remarks, wishing that there wasn't any truth to them. The words that Jasper had said on the lake were still fresh in her mind. Being called a monster by a violent Gem right in front of the kids was not one of her best moments. She had always tried to push those thoughts away, but they always seem to return stronger than before. And now the dream demon was using them against her to further threaten Dipper and Steven. For a second, she almost considered taking the demon's offer. It wasn't like it was the first time she had made a deal that ultimately hurt her to save others. She was practically an expert at it by this point.

But then she remembered that promise she made to Dipper.

After Dipper had explain the whole possession scenario, Lapis quickly embraced him and made him promise something. She made him promise that he would _never_ do something that would threaten his life just for her sake. She said she could never forgive herself if something were to happen to him. Dipper eventually agreed to this promise, but only on one condition. He said that Lapis had to promise the same thing to Dipper. The Malachite situation had been hard on the boy, and he couldn't take losing her again.

So that was her answer. "No," she said defiantly. "I don't have to make a deal with you to protect both Dipper and Steven! I'm tired of being used as just a tool by everyone! I won't fall for your tricks and let you hurt the boys I love!" Lapis was standing her ground now. She wouldn't be fooled by the demon's proposition, no matter how tempting it is.

Bill just stared at her for a few moments and put his arms at his sides. " _Hmph, suit yourself Water Wings. I'm just giving you an easy solution to this. You're the only one who can be held responsible for whatever happens next. But don't worry, no matter how bad things get, I'll be here, ready to make a deal!_ " Bill then began to float in to space before turning back around to face the blue Gem again. " _Hey by the way, you ever heard of the story of Icarus_?"

"Who?" the water Gem ask, clearly not familiar with the old human tale. Bill responded with a chuckle. " _Oh, it's great story. Personally, I can't help but be reminded of you whenever I read that story! Why don't I help relate to the main character!_ "

Bill then snapped his fingers, only to instantly disappear and be replaced by what could only be a miniature version of the Sun. Lapis had to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness, but then she realized that was the least of her worries. Her beautiful wings that had kept her afloat this whole time were beginning to boil. Steam was rising off her wings and they started to shrink smaller and smaller. Before Lapis could even consider fleeing from the sudden heat, it was too late. Lapis wings were sizzled up into useless numbs and she began her downward fall towards the surface of the Earth. For the first time in water Gem's life, she was falling to her death. All she could she was flail her arms and scream as she plummeted to the ground. The last thing that she heard was the demented laughter of Bill Cipher.

* * *

"LAPIS WAKE UP!"

The blue Gem suddenly raised her head of the ground with a startled scream. She then quickly swiveled her head around to see where she was this time. She was back at the silo, although in a rather different position. Instead of on her back at the top of the silo, she was face down on the ground next to the silo. Once she was sitting on the grass, she looked to the rural landscape that painted the sky every night. The water Gem then turned to Peridot, who was looking more frazzled than usual. "Peridot, w-what happe-"

The former technician suddenly interrupted her though. "Oh my star, Lapis thank goodness you're okay! I was going out to check on you and I saw that you were face down on the ground! At first, I thought you were just sleeping but I know you usually like to sleep on top of it! So, I thought you fell and I went over to check that your gem wasn't cracked! Then I tried to wake you up and-" Peridot was interrupted when Lapis suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. Her cheeks became flush with a dark green since Peridot was not used to this kind of affection from the blue Gem.

Before Peridot could further question this, Lapis finally uttered something. "I'm never sleeping again, Peridot! I'm never sleeping again." The green Gem was rather taking aback by the water Gem suddenly giving up one of her favorite pass times. "W-what," she said. "But, I thought you said that helped you calm down? You just had a bad dream, Lapis. Steven says that everyone gets them sometimes. It doesn't mean that you should give up sleep completely."

"NO!" cried Lapis. "I can't go back to sleep. I'll be safe from him if I don't." Lapis sobbed into Peridot's shoulder.

Lapis had to escape from Bill. She couldn't face the dream demon again. He had hurt her and he threatened the two most precious people in her life. She had to stay in the waking world so that she could protect them at all cost. She needed to stay away from that triangle at all costs.

Because deep down she knew, the more time she was in the presence of the demon, the more tempting his bargain would be.


	8. All the World's A Stage

All the World's A Stage

Darkness had completely enveloped Mabel Pines. The first thing that she noticed was the fact that she couldn't see anything at all. She knew that the attic got dark at night, but the moonlight always made sure it wasn't completely pitch black. Speaking of the attic, she was able to conclude that there was no way she was there right now. Instead of her warm bed, she was sprawled out on a cold, wooden floor. She noticed a small draft as she slowly got to her feet. She started walking in a random direction in hopes of figuring out where exactly she was. She only took a few steps before she noticed there was something around her ankle.

Before she could ask even further questions, a sharp, bright light assaulted her eyes. She had to shield her eyes from the intense light, but she could tell that it was coming from above. After her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, she could finally gauge where she was now. The floor was definitely wood, and it seem to stretch on of miles on each side. She looked down to her leg and noticed that it was chained to the floor. She tried in vain to pull herself free from it, but the chain was unfortunately bolted to the ground.

Suddenly, more lights appeared above; all of them focusing on her. That was when she noticed what was in front of her. There appeared to be thousands of people sitting in front of her. She couldn't make out any of their faces due to the darkness, but she could tell that they were all staring at her with white, piercing eyes. That was when she finally realized where she was. The lights above her weren't just regular lights, they were spotlights.

Mabel was on a stage in front of thousands of people.

"W-what's going on?! Did I eat too much sugar before bed again?! Oh man, Dipper's never going to let me hear the end of this." Mabel groaned. Before she could think further about her brother's tedious lecturing, she heard something that made her blood run cold. It was a laugh, a laugh that she was all too familiar with. The last time she had heard this particular laugh, she had almost lost her brother.

Suddenly, with a bright flashing light, Bill Cipher appeared and floated gently down in front of Mabel, casually spinning his signature cane. " _Well well well, how's it been going Shooting Star? Sorry to say, but this isn't one of your sugar high dreams. This is alllll me! Anyway, what do ya think of this place I cooked up for ya? Pretty great, right?_ " The dream demon then gestured to the surrounding stage and the silent audience.

Mabel took a few seconds to examine the surroundings before snapping back at the demon. "No, you stupid triangle! Why would you ever think I would ever like something like this?!" The demon simply gave the girl a rather smug look. " _Well, I just thought it would remind you of that stupid puppet show you put on. You know, the show where you almost lost you brother and friends over a stupid crush?!_ " Mabel then immediately bowed her head at this. She was afraid that this was what this was about. She was hoping that this whole stage atmosphere was just a mere coincidence. However, it turned out to be a carefully planned set up by the dream demon to remind her of one of the worst screw ups of her life.

"What's with the chain then?" Mabel gestured to said chain that was still clamped to her leg. Bill was quick to answer her. " _Oh that? That's what I would like to call 'incentive' for paying attention to what I have to say. If you decide to either stop listening to me or rudely interrupt me…_ " the demon then gave a quick snap of his fingers. Mabel then suddenly felt a sharp sting in her leg. The pain was so bad that she fell on to the ground and cradled her leg in hopes of relieving the pain. " _You'll get a nice little reminder of who's in charge here! So, now with that out of the way, let's get down to business!_ "

Mabel was still kneeled over on the ground, and could only glance up at the demon floating above her. "Why," she said weakly. "Why are you doing thi-" before she could finished, another volt of pain through her leg. The girl held on to her leg even tighter as Bill gave his reply. " _Ah ah ah, no speaking unless you're told to! Honestly Shooting Stars, you have the worst manners I've ever seen! You should really be thanking me for this!_ " The dream demon could only laugh as the girl beneath him let out a few whimpers of pain.

Bill then ceased his laughter and began what he had originally came here for. " _So, I bet you wondering Shooting Star: Why the hell are you bothering me right now? Well I just thought I'd tell how much you_ _ **ROYALLY PISSED ME OFF**_!" he said as Bill grew five times his sizes and changed his hue into a dark red color. Mabel could only cower away at this, then the demon returned to his regular appearance. " _You have no idea what your little stunt at that puppet show did to me! You made me lose, not one, but TWO opportunities in one night. Wanna take a guess at what those were?!_ "

Mabel was barely able to think, let alone give a clear response to the demon. The constant shocks were making her weak, both physically and mentally. Her head was swimming and she could hardly give a response. However, she was finally able to mutter something, mostly out of fear of receiving another shock. "I-I don't…Dipper….?"

The demon then used his cane to poke the girl in the forehead. " _You got one of them right kid. I've possessed many meat sacks throughout the years, but Pine Trees was one of the greatest joyrides I've ever had! I could've easily fried his brain the second I was in there, but that wouldn't have been any fun! I wanted to feel every bit a pain that would go through his feeble body! I wanna to enjoy the terrified look on Pine Tree's face in the Mindscape as I mutilated his body! I was so excited to give that flesh sack one hell of a finale when YOU cut that short! You stopped my fun, and now you're gonna pay for it!_ "

Mabel's was eating her from the inside out. She was so focused on her stupid show, that she let her brother become possessed by this sadist triangle. Now she realized that she made the situation even worse by removing the demon, making him furious.

" _And then there was the other opportunity I lost. Your current little boy crush, Rose Bud._ " Mabel was slightly surprised by this. She wouldn't have expected for Steven to be brought up in this. " _See, while I was playing around in Pine Tree's body, Rose Bud was super panicky about it. It was actually pretty hilarious looking back at it! He was so desperate, he would have done anything to stop me from ruining Pine Tree's body any further! You wanna know what I would've wanted from him?_ "

Mabel couldn't even fathom would horrible thing Bill would want from Steven, but the dream demon said it anyway. " _HIS GEM YOU IDIOT! I'm working with some 'associates' that had some bad blood with Rose Bud's mom. Quartzy wasn't as perfect as you or those dumb Crystal Chums made her out to be. I could go into details, but I think I won't spoil the surprise! Anyway, my associates don't really care about Rose Bud, as much as they care about that Gem that's in his gut. So, I was going make him TEAR that thing out of his gut and hand it over to me! He would have totally died from that and everyone would've thought that it was some desperate suicide, it would have been hilarious!_ " The demon couldn't help himself from laugh, but he then switched to a much more serious tone. " _But then you had to that as well! If it wasn't for you, I would've had Rose Bud's bloody gem in my hand!_ "

Mabel was beginning to feel sick from all this. The image of Steven's lifeless body in front of Bipper, holding his gem I his bloody hand was burned into her head. The girl couldn't take this torture anymore. She desperately tried to stand back in order to a tleast try and escape this nightmare. Unfortunately, Bill took notice to this and decided to give Mabel another shock, toppling the girl to the ground again. " _Hey, who said you could stand? Come on Shooting Star, you be considerate of your audience. They're just eating up your suffering!_ " Bill gestured towards the dark audience, who were still staring blankly at the girl. Mabel assumed that this was some kind of irony. She always did want to be the center of attention, and here she was, being stared at by thousands on white eyes.

" _So in short Shooting Star, you took away a vessel and a gem that was rightfully mine. So, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm going to TAKE THEM BACK!_ " The demon stared directly into the girl's terrified gaze. " _The thing you humans is that you take everything you have for granted and the second they're taken away from you, you freak out and get depressed! So that's what I'm gonna do Shooting Star! I'm gonna take away your brother and the closest friend you'll ever have away from you! I'll finally get what I deserve and you'll be left all alone in this universe, it's a win-win!_ "

For a moment, Mabel could only stare at the demon and process what had been told to her. Bill was threating to take away her twin brother and her best friend. Ever since they were little, Dipper and Mabel made a promise that no matter what life threw at them, they would always stick together. She couldn't imagine a future where it seemed like he was gone forever. She wouldn't what to do if her brother just disappeared from her life. And then there was the ever-growing friendship that Mabel had shared with Steven. Despite only knowing each other for about three months, Steven had become one of the closest friends Mabel had ever made. That had experienced so much together, from the countless Gem missions they went on together, to the amazing experience that was Maven. The thought of him being violently ripped away from her made her insides feel twisted.

"N-no, please don't," the girl muttered weakly. She couldn't tell if it was because of the agonizing pain or the toxic guilt inside of her, but she was about ready to do anything to protect the two most precious people in her life. "Just-just take me instead. I'm the one that deserves this. Just don't hurt Dipper or Steven."

The dream demon put on an inquisitive look and stared at the girl. " _Hmmm, that's a pretty tempting offer Shooting Star."_ The triangle mused. Mabel's eyes were starting to appear hopeful before they were tightly shut from the excessive pain that shot through her body. Only this time, the pain didn't stop after a short period, but instead lingered on for what she thought was eternity. " _But I'm going to have to pass up on it due to how USELESS you are to me. Pine Tree and Rose Bud are the ones one with any inherent value, so no dice! Besides, I'd rather watch your life go flushing down the drain as you try to function without those two. Face reality Shooting Star, you can't live without those two. You're so pathetic, it's actually kinda funny!_ "

Mabel was barely able to hear Bill, since her own screams were drowning him out. Bill looked rather satisfied over this and decided to begin to take his leave. " _Well, I'd better get going, Shooting Star. Just remember, there's nothing you can do to stop me from ending those two brats! Might want to try and spend all the remain time you got with those two. Until then, I'LL KEEP IN TOUCH!_ "

The demon then blinked out of existence, leaving Mabel behind with her screams of pain.

Mabel woke up screaming with tears staining her cheeks. She finally calmed down enough to assess where was now. She was back in the attic again, the soft moonlight illuminating the wooden floor. She was also back in bed, and was rather thankful to see that those chains and shocks didn't leave any physical marks on her leg. However, while she may have been fine physically, she was far from okay emotionally. Memories of Bill's venomous tone and threats were still fresh in her mind. Her train of thought was cut off as she looked over to the bed on the other side.

"Dipper!" she cried out. The girl looked over to Dipper's bed, only to see that it was vacant. At first, the girl began to panic, but she then remembered that Dipper had told her that Lapis was feeling rather on-edge, so he decided to spend the night with her. Still, that did little to help alleviate the knots in her stomach. While she could go into "Sweatertown" since she was in her sleep wear, it didn't stop her from curling up to hug her legs. A quick check of her phone shown it was probably too late to call either Dipper or Steven, despite desperately wanting to.

"Bill's wrong," she thought to herself. "I can stop him from hurting Dipper and Steven! All I have to do is….is…." Mabel sighed as she fell back onto her pillow again. Who was she kidding, what could she do to stop Bill? He was right, she was pathetic. Without Dipper's quick wit and Steven's unending determination, she was hopeless. With nothing else left to do, Mabel tried to go back to sleep. She would no doubt have to have a conversation with Dipper and Steven, but she would deal with that later.

For now, she had to figure out how to tell Dipper and Steven how worthless she was without them.


	9. Difficult Decisions

Difficult Decisions

A sequel to Necessary Separation

The lake was unusually quiet for this time of the afternoon. Normally, there would be at least a few people trying to cool off from the summer heat or admire the picturesque view that the lake provided. However, it appeared that not a single soul was situated on the sandy shore. The only noise was the gentle waves washing up onto the shore and then back out again. The setting sun gave the lake a rather beautiful glimmer that reflected a combination of reds and yellows. Indeed, the lake was completely isolated for the moment, and was exactly how Dipper wanted it to be.

The boy was standing near where the sand and the water met, but made sure he was far enough where his feet wouldn't get wet. Dipper was looking out at how the sunset reflected off the lake. However, he wasn't here to just to gaze into one of the many beauties that Gravity Falls provided. He was simply admiring the lake while he waited for a certain someone.

It had been a couple of hours since Dipper and Steven had that talk with Garnet. The conversation was still fresh in the inquisitive boy's mind. Him and Steven did go into town to find the girls like they told the fusion, but Dipper suggested that they split up to cover more ground. However, this was really just an excuse for him to be alone with his thoughts. Since then, Dipper had done a lot of thinking. He thought about what Garnet said about not forming Stepper and unfair that was to him. But he also thought about those touching words that the fusion had told him right before he left the Temple. While he couldn't deny that those words had touched his heart in such a meaningful way, there was still a small part of him that was seething at the Gem leader for making such a horrendous demand.

Dipper had stopped by the lake when he decided to what his next move would be. He would wait by the lake for Steven to eventually find him. If he happened to bring Mabel and Connie with him, Dipper would politely ask the girls to give him and Steven some privacy. Dipper needed to talk about this with just Steven. Stepper was their fusion after all, so it made sense that they should have their own discussion on the topic. The boy didn't have to wait that long for the young Gem to find him near the lake.

"Dipper," Steven called out. "Hey, were you able to find the girls yet? I'm hoping that we could spend a little more time with Connie before she has to go back home." The young Gem put on a weak smile for his friend. The conversation with Garnet did shake him up as well, but he was always known for putting on a friendly façade even he was feeling his lowest.

"Oh Steven," Dipper turned around to face the young Gem. "Uhh no, I haven't found them yet. But look, can I talk to you about something? Just the two of us?"

"Um, okay sure." Steven said as he began to walk towards Dipper. He had a feeling about what Dipper wanted to discuss, but he decided to stay silent. Dipper sat down on the shore and Steven took a seat next to him. Both of the boys were staring out at the horizon that was on the lake. After a brief period of silence, Steven spoke up. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Dipper took a long sigh, knowing that this would be rather difficult. "Look Steven, I've been thinking about some things. And I really think we should talk about Stepper and about what Garnet said about not fusing." Steven was now mirroring the solemn look that Dipper had. The young Gem was afraid that this is what Dipper wanted to talk about. However, he was ready to provide his friend with all the comfort he needed to get past this dilemma. "Oh uh, look Dipper, I know what Garnet said about not fusing anymore is kinda rough, but I think we'll be fine as long as we listen to her and-"

"No Steven," Dipper interrupted him. "I think we have to form Stepper, even if Garnet doesn't want to!" Steven was rather taken aback by this claim. Garnet just told them that Stepper would be in grave danger, and Dipper just wanted to fuse anyway? It didn't make any sense to the young Gem, so it didn't come to any surprise that he questioned it further. "Wait what?! But didn't you hear what Garnet said? She saw a future where something….really bad happened to Stepper! Why would you want to still fuse after hearing that?"

Dipper turned to his friend to meet his confused gaze. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to convince Steven to go against the wishes of one of his guardians. However, Dipper knew he had to convince him that this was the right choice. "I know what Garnet said, but I mean come on Steven, you know that future vision isn't completely absolute. There only _predictions_ about what might happen. Do you really want to really want to give up fusion just because of a prediction?"

Steven couldn't deny that Dipper had a point there. Throughout the summer, it seemed that Garnet's near precise clairvoyance was becoming less and less dependable. However, that didn't stop him from think how wrong it was to completely disregard Garnet like this. But that wasn't the only reason Steven was wary about fusing.

It turned out that Dipper wasn't the only one doing some serious thinking after the talk with Garnet. The idea of Stepper, and consequentially Dipper, possibly perishing had resurfaced a thought that had plagued the young Gem for a while. He was a serious danger to Dipper and Mabel. It was only until the fiasco with the Hand Ship did he realize that all of this Gem stuff was a serious hazard to the twins. It only seem to get worse as the summer continued on. It was certainly something that keep the young Gem up at night. Which was why he had to convince Dipper that fusing was a terrible idea.

"Y-yeah but, no! Dipper we can't form Stepper right now! We could die if we do! Even if there's just a small chance of that happening, we can't risk it! We need to listen to Garnet this time!" Steven was through beating around the bush by this point. Garnet had told them that they would literally die if they were to form Stepper. It terrified Steven, and he was very concerned that it didn't terrify Dipper.

Dipper was starting to get really frustrated now. Why couldn't Steven look past Garnet and realize what was really important here. "Come on Steven," Dipper stood up. "Why don't you take a second and forget about Garnet and focus here! Do you really want to give up fusion after all we've been through?! Don't you remember how awesome it was when Stepper took down those robots that Peridot sent? Don't you remember how impressed Great Uncle Ford was when we formed Stepper for him? We can't give up Stepper! He's a part of us now, and it would be stupid to let him go."

Guilt was starting to eat Steven on the inside by now. Everything Dipper said was absolutely true. Stepper was amazing, and Steven loved every minute he got to be him. He loved everything from his four arms, to how more alert he felt and how unique his shield journal was. However, no matter how amazing Stepper was, Steven couldn't let his friend get hurt from something that only he could cause. Which was he decided to stand up to face Dipper and be uncharacteristically assertive.

"Dipper, I know Stepper is important to you. He's really important to me! But, I don't want you getting hurt because of me! If we fuse, we could really get hurt or even possibly die! I can't have that on my consciences right now! We're not forming Stepper, I'm putting my foot down!" Steven then stomped his foot into the sands to iterate his point. However, he did fail to notice how Dipper hands seem to ball up into fist.

"You always do this," Dipper muttered, but it then transitioned into yelling. "Every time the Gems tell you to do something, you just blindly follow what they say! Do you ever think for yourself?! In case you forgotten, they don't always know what's best for us! We've proven to them time and time again that we're capable of handling things ourselves. We're a lot more than just a bunch of dumb kids! So, stop being a coward and help me with this!" Dipper was done being gentle. He couldn't believe that Steven wouldn't side with him on this. Steven was the one that was so captivated by Stepper when they first fused. He was able to convince Dipper how awesome fusion really was. Now, he decided to completely turn around and say that fusing is a bad idea? Dipper couldn't believe how much of a hypocrite his friend was being.

Steven was only silent for a few seconds before he did something that he rarely did at all: yell. "I'm a coward?! Are you kidding me right now?! How am I a coward for trying to protect us from danger. You always want to dive head first into danger and I always have to convince how stupid you're being! And I'm totally capable of thinking for myself! I know that the Gems aren't always right, but I still trust them enough to know that they only want the best for us! So, stop being so stubborn about this!" It wasn't very often Steven got this angry at others. The young Gem was known for generally being considerate and kind even in the most stressful situations. But Dipper was going too far this time. He was not only insulting him, but the Gems as well. He wasn't going to stand back and let Dipper insult them just for wanting to keep him safe.

By this point, conversation had escalated to a full-on shouting match between the two friends. Both of them believe that they were in the right and failed to see how the other would come to their own conclusions. Neither of them would back down so easily, which only seem to add fire to the argument. After hearing Steven's remark, Dipper was quick to counter. "Oh, I'm sorry that I'm being stubborn over something this important! I guess I have to be since you don't seem to care about Stepper or what he really means to us! In case you've forgotten, Stepper is our fusion! Maybe you just don't know what fusion really means to us!" Steven was quick to retort, "I know what fusion really means! I've done it with two other people besides you! If anything, you're the one who barely knows what fusion is!" Both boys furious by this point. They were yelling at the top of their lungs now, and hardly even noticed their surroundings.

"Oh, so you have no problem fusing with Connie or Mabel, but it's suddenly a big problem with me?! You're a hypocrite, Steven!" yelled Dipper.

"I'm not a hypocrite Dipper, I'm just being careful right now!" countered Steven.

"We don't have to be careful, when we're Stepper because I know for a fact that he can handle everything that's thrown at him!" the inquisitive boy yelled.

"He can't handle everything! WE can't handle everything! We have to know our limits or else we'll die! Why can't you see that I'm trying to help you?!

"Why can't you see that I trying to convince you that you're wrong and that we need Stepper right now!"

"I WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST BACK OFF FROM FUSING WITH ME!"

"WELL I WISH THAT I NEVER FUSED WITH YOU AT ALL!"

The air suddenly felt heavy around them. Both of the boys seem to have the same face on. They both had a face full of tears, shame and regret. It was obvious to both of them that they each went too far. Dipper's face slowly turned into sadness as he really began to realize what he just said. He couldn't deny it or believe that he didn't say it. He just outright stated that he wished that he never had one of the greatest experiences in his life with his best friend. The words felt like they were stuck to his tongue and they felt awful. Not knowing what to say next, Dipper just turned away from Steven, arms crossed and his head bowed in shame.

Steven was also feeling rather lamented at the sudden outburst as well. While he was definitely hurt by Dipper's harsh words, he was smart enough to know that he really didn't mean it. Steven had to also share the blame as well, seeing how he had also escalated the situation as well. He needed to fix this, he couldn't let this ruin the friendship that they had built so well over the summer. So, he decided to change the subject to something that had been on his mind for a while now.

"Dipper, can I ask you something?" the young Gem said calmly. He didn't want to risk upsetting his friend any further. Anymore fight could cause permanent damage to their friendship. "What?" said Dipper, still not facing Steven at the moment. The inquisitive boy was also done with this pointless fighting, so any deviation from the current subject of fusion was welcome. However, he was still caught completely off guard by the young Gem's next question.

"Why do you not like your real name?" Steven simply asked. Dipper thought it was a rather odd question to ask all the sudden. There had only been a very select few who were actually aware of Dipper's real name. The only way Steven had come to know it was from when they formed Stepper in the first place. Still, Dipper was rather confused by this. "Wait, why do you want to know that?" Steven replied with a simple sigh. "It's just…I know you said it was because it was embarrassing, but is that all there is to it? I'm sorry if it's a sore subject. I just want to know why so that I could understand better." Dipper could tell that Steven was being completely honest about his curiosity. Although, Dipper never really told anyone why he didn't like his real name so much to anybody before. He had always kept those ideas in his mind for himself. But, see how awkward everything was already he didn't really see what more harm he could do.

With a tired sigh, Dipper began his story. "Well, it was really my mom's idea. Mabel and….my real name sound similar, so she thought it sounded cute since we were twins. To be honest, everything was fine, until we got into elementary school. That was when Mabel's personality really started to shine. She made friends really fast, the teachers loved her and everyone was just impressed by her. For me….it was a bit different. It wasn't like I was treated badly by other kids, it was just that they barely noticed me at all. To all the kids and even some of the teachers, I was just known as 'Mabel's brother'. They didn't glance twice at my presence. I always thought that it was because I had a similar name to her. It was like I was just a more boring version of her" Dipper took a small break from the story, not knowing how to announce all these bottled up thoughts. "It was until Mabel started to call me Dipper because of, well, my birthmark that things started to change. Some of the kids actually started to remember my name now. I was starting to make friends all the sudden. It was like Mabel had her thing and I had found mine. I thought having a nickname would make things worse for me, but it turned out to be for the best. So, I guess that's why I don't really like my real name. It just doesn't make me feel….special."

And when it came right down to it, that all Dipper really wanted to be. He wanted to be seen as someone completely different from Mabel. It wasn't like he wanted to be unassociated with his twin sister, it was just that he didn't want to live in her shadow. That was why he loved everything that made him unique, his name, his intellect, the journal, his hat, and of course Stepper as well. Dipper didn't really know what Steven would do with what he just told him. Maybe the young Gem would retreat to the Temple and pretend none of this conversation had ever happened. However, the boy was surprised when he noticed that Steven had embraced him from behind, and was even more surprised at what he said next.

"Well, I think you're pretty special Mason."

Tears started to flow down Dipper's face at that sentence. People like Mabel and his parents always told him that they loved him, but it was something about what Steven said that made him feel this way. Maybe it was because, deep down, Dipper had always wanted someone to say that to him. Dipper grabbed the arms that were wrapped around him for a minute, as if he was cherishing the friend that really cared about him. The young Gem then turned Dipper around to face him and placed both hands on his shoulders so that he could give some words of encouragement.

"Listen Dipper, I really get what you're saying. Stepper is someone who completely unique to us. And he somebody that we can't just forget or get rid because he's part of our identity now. And I absolutely love that he's a part of my identity. But, I just don't want you to get hurt because I care about you. It's like what Garnet said; you, Mabel, Mr. Pines and Mr. Ford are all like family to me and the Gems. Family is supposed to look out for each other and make sure that they'll be okay." Steven continued with a small smile. "So, here's what we should do. I think we should fuse when we absolutely believe that we have to, no matter what anyone has to say about it. I don't when that will be or how we'll exactly know when will be the right time, but I'm pretty confident that we'll know when the time comes. Because, you're right, Stepper is our fusion, and we should be the ones to decide when we should fuse. Okay?"

Now that Dipper was actually listening, he couldn't help but agree to this new solution. They wouldn't form Stepper right away, only when they absolutely had to. Dipper wasn't sure when that would be exactly, but that hardly mattered. What mattered was that Steven wasn't going to take away Stepper from him. The fusion, one of the things that made Dipper Pines special, was still very much a part of him. "Okay." The boy simply said, before pulling the young Gem into a hug of his own. Steven was a bit startled by this, but then gladly returned the hug.

Now both of the boys had finally found equal footing again. It was quite similar to the time where they both found the harmony for the first time when they fused. Now that they had a good idea of what to do, the two friends could finally move on. They didn't know what the future held for them, but they were ready for it, as long as they were together.

"Steven…Dipper?!" The boys both looked up to their hug to see Mabel looking at them from afar. They didn't exactly know when the girl had shown up, but it didn't appear like she was there for very long. Dipper immediately separated from the hug, blushing from being caught in a rather embarrassing scenario. "Oh, hey Mabel! Me and Steven were just uh….having a chat and all that. Ha ha!" Dipper tried to downplay the situation.

Mabel put on a rather skeptical look, but Steven notices something else was off about Mabel. Instead of her usual cheery demeanor, it appear that she was lost in a heavy train of thought. "Mabel, are you okay? Where's Connie?" the young Gem asked. Mabel was silent for a minute before finally answering. "Oh, well Connie needed to head back home, but listen guys," the girl began and then step forward in front of the boys.

"I really need to talk to you to about something."


	10. Ever-Changing Self Worth

Ever-Changing Self Worth

For the first time in however long she could remember, Amethyst actually _needed_ to sleep. In the past, the purple Gem would enjoy the human ritual as a luxury rather than a necessity. She would either do it to kill time or use it to avoid one of Pearl's constant lectures. However, recent events had made Amethyst more exhausted than usual. It was only made worse when she saw Bill Cipher invade one of Pearl's dream. After what seemed like hours of crying and comforting, Pearl was finally calm enough to go outside the Temple and clear her thoughts.

Still, what made the purple Gem so anxious was how Pearl reacted to the dream demon's outrageous claims. The white Gem had sadly admitted that Bill's claims of her hatred for Steven when he was an infant was actually true. Amethyst refused to believe it though. No matter how jaded Pearl was after Rose death, she could never bring herself to harm that baby in anyway. However, there still was a seed of doubt in the back of the messy Gem's mind.

Amethyst had decided to go to her room to process all of these conflicting thoughts. She thought that laying among all of the treasures she had collected over the years would make her feel relaxed. Unfortunately, it worked a little too well, as the Gem felt her eyes get heavier. She assumed that her previous exhaustion combined with her relaxed state had led to this incoming slumber. Originally, the purple Gem had tried to avoid sleep in hope to avoid one of Bill's intrusions. However, the encroaching slumber was too enticing for the purple Gem to pull away from. "Whatever," she mumbled to herself. "I'm not afraid of that stupid nacho. I can take him. I'm…a…..rock."

And with that, Amethyst had fallen asleep, unknowingly drifting off into a certain demon's trap.

* * *

Amethyst's eyelids felt heavy as she slowly opened her eyes. Her room was darker than she remembered, and was certain duller. It was only until she was more awake that she realized where she was. The dark, gloomy atmosphere combined with the thousands of exit holes on the cliff faces surrounding her could only mean she was in one place: The Kindergarten. The purple Gem's former home was still as lifeless as it always was, with the injectors still attached to the walls.

"Ugh seriously, this place?!" the purple Gem groaned as she summoned her whip. She may not be the smartest Gem on the team, but she was smart enough to realize how she had inexplicably moved from her room to this place. "Get out here already! I know you're here, you stupid triangle!" she yelled.

As soon as Amethyst said this, a blinding light emitted from behind her. From the light, emerged the infamous dream demon himself. The purple Gem put on a defensive stance as Bill Cipher floated down to her. " _Well well well,_ " the demon began. " _If it isn't everyone favorite little mistake! How've you been Half Baked, still doing that thing you call 'your best'?_ " Amethyst responded by waving her whip straight at the triangle, only for it wrap around the demon's cane and having it pulled away from her. " _Yep, there's that inadequacy that you're so famous for Half Baked!_ "

The purple Gem was becoming more and more agitated by the minute. "Stop calling me that! And why the hell are you bothering me?! Can't you do something useful like pissing off?!" she yelled. Amethyst normal cut back on the swears, mostly because Pearl would constantly scold her about it, but she didn't have to worry about filtering herself here. The demon just rolled his eye at this and answered. " _Oh, lighten up Half Baked, I just thought I would visit one of my favorite screw ups! Besides, where do you get off by saying I'm invading your privacy. You didn't really think about that when you totally eavesdropped on Bird Brain's dream. That was rather rude might I say!_ "

Amethyst felt a little guilty at this but then quickly shook it off. She wasn't going to let this sadistic triangle get the best of her. "Oh screw you, Bill! Don't turn the tables on this! You're the one who told Pearl all that junk about Steven! You're nothing but a sham!" she accused the demon. Amethyst was finally going to prove to herself that Bill was wrong about Pearl. Amethyst knew Pearl, and she knew that the white Gem would never have ill feelings towards the young Gem. Unfortunately, Bill was more than prepared to give the purple Gem the harsh reality that she desperately needed.

 _Oh Half Baked, it's really hilarious how wrong you are about EVERYTHING! You think you know anything about your friends and comrades?! Ha, fat chance!_ " The dream demon started to back away from the purple Gem, who was still ready to pounce at whatever danger the dream demon plan to throw at her. " _I think you need you need to get better acquainted with those idiots you think you know. How about we start with Bird Brain! Let me give you two some alone time to talk about things!_ " Bill was then suddenly shrouded in the mist that covered most of the Kindergarten. Amethyst summoned her whip again, ready for a surprise at attack from any direction. However, after a few minutes, a new figure seemed to appear from the mist. Someone that the purple Gem instantly recognized as one of her comrades: Pearl.

Amethyst had to rub her eyes to make sure that she was seeing things right. She had heard that Bill had impressive powers of mimicking other's appearances, but she wasn't prepared for the level of accuracy before her. Everything about the Gem's attire to her stance was exactly like Amethyst was familiar with. It only became more unsettling as she heard the duplicate speak. "Now Amethyst, you really shouldn't bother me over trivial matters that should be fairly obvious. I suppose I'll have to set the record straight with you, just how I always constantly have to do!"

The resemblance was completely uncanny. The Gem looked, moved and spoke exactly like Pearl. Even as an expect shapeshifter herself, Amethyst could never achieve such a clear copy as the dream demon could. But that was all it was, a copy of Pearl. Amethyst knew that she wasn't talking to the real Pearl. The dream demon was just trying to convince her that she was, and the messy Gem was not buying it. "Hmph, nice try Bill," she snarled at the duplicate. "You can put on your best Pearl impression all you want, but it won't change the fact that Pearl never hated Steven!"

The Pearl copy paused for a few seconds, only to slowly put on a dark smile. "Oh but Amethyst, I did rather hate that ungrateful brat." She simply said. It was something about that sentence uttered in Pearl's gentle voice that caused Amethyst's spine to shiver. The clone then continued on with her train of thought. "I was so devastated when Rose was unfairly taken away from me, only for her to be replaced by a filthy infant that was holding her precious gemstone. I was so appalled by that abomination that I just wanted to…just get rid of it. Looking back at it, I really should have done it while it was easy. I could have just gone to the lake, rip the gemstone out of that parasite and toss the creature into the water and out of our lives. It would have been so simple, but of course you would have thrown a fit about being 'unethical' or 'monstrous'. Typical Amethyst, always being a burden on the team."

Amethyst was beginning to feel uncomfortable now. She knew that this wasn't really Pearl that was making such horrible claims. Yet, just seeing and hearing the words coming out of the white Gem's mouth and in her voice just made the purple Gem feel sick inside. It was like Pearl was admitting a terrible truth to her and she hardly even cared about what it sounded like. Amethyst immediately shook that thought out of her head, knowing that was what exactly what the Bill wanted her to think. She then decided to offer a counter argument instead. "I-I'm not a burden! I contribute just as much as anyone else does! I give it my best and everyone appreciates that!" The purple Gem failed to notice in her anger that the mist was enclosing on the again.

Pearl shook her head and gave a light chuckle. "Really Amethyst? Because I think that someone else might have a few words on that matter." She said as the mist enclosed on her. Amethyst had it with these games now. She unraveled her whip and was ready to attack whatever came out of the fog, no matter who it was. A figure began walking out of the shroud, but it was still unclear who it was. Amethyst hardly cared about that as she ran full speed at the figure, ready to finish off the dream demon's latest illusion. She was about to make the first strike before she saw what had emerged. The iconic fez atop his head and flashy suit fit for a showman he had on caused the purple Gem to stop dead in her tracks. The man that stood before Amethyst was Stan Pines.

"S-S-Stan?!" was all she could mutter at what was before her, unknowingly dropping her whip from her grasp. Her mind was spinning at what she was seeing. Would Bill go as far as imitate one of the best humans that she had the pleasure of forming a bond with? Before she could answer her own question, the Stan copy spoke for himself. "Well duh kid, I am one of the only ones who know how much of a screw up you are. While those Crystal Chumps were off and actually getting stuff done, I was left to babysit you so that you wouldn't cause any more damage!" The conman looked annoyed at this thought. "But, I guess it wasn't all bad! Those 'Revenge Trips' that we took certainly made you a lot more useful than you were before. All I had to do was make it seem like a 'friendship' thing and you were on board for just about anything! And if we were to ever get caught, I would've let you take the blame for it and I could get away scot-free! Like that one time when the Gems had to bail us out of that jail!"

Amethyst felt her heart ache at this. Stan would never do something like that to her. What they had was a genuine friendship that had lasted for years and was built on trust and respect. So why was Stan telling her all of this? It just couldn't be true. "Liar," she screamed. "You would…I mean Stan would never just use me like that! We make sure to look out for each other! He trusts me!"

Stan then rubbed his temple and then continued with his tangent. "Trust you?" he said, as if he had heard something idiotic. "How could I ever trust you, kid? You are so easy to manipulate, how could anyone depend on, let alone trust, you? You wanna know why didn't let you in on what I was doing to get my twin brother back? It was because you would mess up everything! You would've blabbed about the portal to the Gems and all of those years of work would go to waste! You're too eager to impress everyone, you end up being just a tool. Just when the portal was about to open, you actually decided to stop the Gems from shutting it down. You had no idea what the portal would do, and yet you STILL trusted me and went against your own kind! Do you really think I can trust someone who flips sides in a heartbeat?! I think not!"

Amethyst had to sit down from this. What was happening right now? She thought she was doing the right thing when she stopped the other Gems from shutting down the portal. Sure, things were rough with them after that for a while, but they eventually made up and became a team again. And Stan was so grateful to her and because of her actions, he was able to get back his long-lost twin brother. Now Stan was saying that she was just a tool for his schemes, and that she was being just as stupid back at the portal. The purple Gem felt like everything she knew was being ripped out from under her. She was speechless at what was being told to her.

"And this isn't just a recent problem, kid," Stan said as he was walking towards her. "This goes way back long before I was around, and I think I know just the broad to point that out." Stan was then engulfed in the mist while he was still marching toward the Gem. Amethyst could only crawl backwards away from the enclosing cloud of mist. She couldn't take this anymore. She couldn't bear to listen to what other people close to her had to say about her mistakes. She saw another figure begin to emerge from the mist and began to panic. She began to recognize the figure that stepped out of the shroud. Amethyst eyes began to well up at who she saw. The beautiful, pink curls; the large, radiant figure; and the gemstone centered at her stomach confirmed one of Amethyst's worst fears. Rose Quartz was standing before the purple Gem cowering on the ground.

"My my, look what we have here," she said in her gentle tone. "The defective Gem cowering at my feet. How expected." The purple Gem looked up into Rose's eyes not to find pity or angry, but just a neutral, unimpressed look. The pink Gem then lifted one of her feet and pressed it against the purple Gem's face. Only Amethyst noticed that instead of being bare foot, Rose was wearing pink, Stiletto heels that continued to stab at her cheek. "Rose…..when did you….start wearing heels?" was all the purple Gem could mutter under the pressure of the former Gem leader's foot.

"Oh, these?" the pink Gem said. "I'd just thought I would try something different; something more appropriate. You would certainly know about that, what with you always changing to make up for those many shortcomings of yours." Rose then pressed further down on the Gem's face, digging the tip of the heel deeper into her cheek.

"I must say Amethyst, I am rather disappointed in how things turned out. When we lost most of our comrades from the war, I thought that would be it for Gems on Earth. But, then I came across you, a defected Amethyst that just so happen to survive." Rose then turned her gaze over to the hundreds of exit holes that covered one of the cliff faces. "Out of all these capable Gems, I was stuck with the runt of the litter. Of course, I immediately thought that I would never associate myself with a Gem as pathetic as you. But whether it was from pity or curiosity, I decided to let you join the remaining Crystal Gems. I thought that by some miracle you actually be of some use." She then looked back down at Amethyst, starting with resentful eyes. "However, it turned out that I was right the entire time. Anything you did either complicated or jeopardized the mission. Leaving you behind and letting do whatever you pleased seemed to be the best course of action. But then you disappoint me again by spending time with Stan. It's almost impressive at how pathetic you can really be. And it would appear that nothing has changed since my passing. You disappointed me in life and your disappointing me in death."

Tears were now streaming down Amethyst cheek. The pain was just too much for her, both physical and emotional. Amethyst's entire existence had been an uphill battle for her. Yet she was told that her resilience was one of her best traits. She had felt accomplished at what she had overcome. But now Rose was telling her that is was all a sham. She was just as worthless as she was when popped out of this planet.

The purple Gem's train of thought was interrupted as Rose grabbed her by the neck and held her up face to face. "I think it's finally time I put you back where I found you." She then walked toward one of the cliff faces, dragging Amethyst behind her. Amethyst was able to glance up to see where the pink Gem was taking her. It was the exit hole that she had emerged from, she was able to tell since the hole was only half the size of the exit holes around it. The exit hole usually gave the purple Gem some comfort, but something told her that it was going to become her tomb.

Rose roughly threw Amethyst into the hole. The crevice was dark, with the only light coming from the outside. The Gem wasn't normally claustrophobic, but she wasn't exactly feeling herself at the moment. Amethyst looked up to see that Rose appeared to be moving something that on the side of the exit. Her worst assumptions were proven true when she saw that was in fact moving a boulder. Rose was about to completely cover the hole, but not before giving a final few words.

"Perhaps I will leave in here for another millennium to see if you grow into someone more useful. Or maybe I will probably forget that I put you here, probably the ladder. Oh, but don't worry about Steven. I have a feeling that he and that Dipper boy will other things on her mind than worrying about you!" Before Rose completely sealed the exit, Amethyst could have sworn that she saw Rose's eyes grow a bright yellow. "So long then….. _Half Baked_!"

The moment that the darkness had swallowed her, Amethyst awoke from her sleep. But instead of feeling refreshed, she felt angry, pain, and the need to destroy.

* * *

The maze-like layout that was Amethyst's room really irritated Pearl. The white Gem was in the Temple looking for the messy Gem for an important reason. Garnet had told her that all of the Gems needed to be present for an important meeting. When Pearl asked about what the meeting was about, the Gem leader just said it was an important matter. So, now she made her way in the Temple to find Amethyst, that is if she could find her in this disaster.

Suddenly, Pearl thought that see heard something. Upon listening closer, she concluded that it was Amethyst in some type of struggle. The white Gem immediately followed the sound before finally reaching its source. What was before her was indeed Amethyst, but she was apparently destroying random piles of junk with her whip. Pearl knew that the purple Gem got emotional at times, but she would usually take out her frustrations out in the woods instead of in her own room. Something was definitely wrong.

"Amethyst!" the white Gem cried out. "What on Earth has gotten into you?!" Amethyst suddenly turned around to see who had just called out to her. The white Gem's heart broke when she looked in to Amethyst's eyes. There was sadness, pain and fear all mixed in to one depressive look. Amethyst only hesitated for a second before she slowly backed up against a nearby wall. "Stay back! Stay away from me! You can't fool me!" she cried out, trying to put on a false bravado.

Pearl had to approach this situation carefully. While it definitely not the first time she had to calm Amethyst down, she could tell that this was entirely different situation. "Amethyst," she calmly said, slowly approaching the panicked Gem. "I want you to look into my eyes. Look into my eyes and just tell me what happened."

In her manic state, Amethyst was somehow able to follow the white Gem's directions. She didn't see anger, annoyance or hatred in Pearl's eyes. She only saw sadness and concern for her long-time comrade and friend. This was her Pearl. And as soon as she realized this, Amethyst broke down into tears and tightly embraced the white Gem.

Amethyst just sobbed for a few minutes before finally speaking up in between sobs. "I-I'm so sorry Pearl. He..he just came out of nowhere! He was you….Stan….a-and Rose! And he said-" Pearl then shushed her and just continued to comfort the small Gem. She knew exactly what happened, for she was in the exact situation. "It's okay Amethyst, it's okay. Just relax, I'm here for you." She said as she continued to pet Amethyst's messy hair. Amethyst was able to say one more thing though. "He….Rose said that I was a disappointment." She solemnly said. "No Amethyst," Pearl calmly said, trying to suppress the ever-growing anger at the dream demon.

"You're just perfect the way you are."


	11. Shattering Revelations

Shattering Revelations

Yellow Diamond had often caught herself staring out into the cosmos. She would often spend half an hour just gazing into the stars that had graced Homeworld's sky. However, she was not admiring the beauty the stars provided, or thinking about the complete wonder that was out beyond those twinkling lights. What she saw was opportunity, opportunity for the Gem Empire to expand. There were hundreds of thousands of planets, teeming with resources, ready to be harvested for the benefit of Homeworld. All that was between that and her was a few light years and the stubborn local inhabitance.

All in a day's work for the galactic tyrant.

"My Diamond," the yellow tyrant paused her train of thought and looked down to her Pearl. While Yellow Diamond would never show it on the outside, she did appreciate the loyalty and dedication of her servant. She was able to usually overlook her overzealous attitude, mostly because she might have influenced that attitude if she was being honest with herself. "Blue Diamond will be arriving any second now." Yellow Diamond simply nodded to this announcement. Blue must of finally decided to show up for this meeting as requested.

Not a second later, the large doors behind her open to reveal her sister. Blue Diamond entered the room, with her Pearl accompanying quickly behind. She was concealed in her usual dark blue cloak, with the hood concealing most of her features. When the door shut behind her, the blue matriarch removed the hood to reveal her face to her sister. Yellow Diamond was met with the familiar look of sadness that was set in her sister's eyes ever since that tragic day. Pink's demise had been hard on all of Homeworld, but Blue Diamond seemed to have devastated by it the most.

Yellow Diamond finally spoke up as her sister made her way to the two chairs across the room. "I see that you finally decided to show up for this meeting." Blue Diamond did not turn around to face her sister, but responded none the less. "I was preoccupied with other matters, Yellow," she stated quietly. "Besides, if I recall, you were the one who decided to make this 'contract' without my consensus." Yellow Diamond gave an aggravated sigh at this as she made her way to her respected chair. Blue was always resistive when it came to the topic of the dream demon.

"How many times must I tell you this, Blue? This agreement that I made with him was for the betterment of our empire. Cipher may be a bit…..aggravating, but that hardly matters. What matters is that he is helping us gain retribution for the colony we lost and the sister that was taken away from us." Yellow Diamond was determined to defend the decision she made all those centuries ago. She had hoped that with time, Blue would finally understand that this was the best course of action. However, the blue matriarch just lowered her head as she sat in her chair. "Fine," Yellow Diamond groaned as she took her seat. "Just try and engage in this conversation and then you can be on your way."

Now that both Diamonds were present with their Pearls beside ready to take notes for the record, all that was left was for the demon to arrive. The room that they were in was specially designed for meetings like this. Due to the demon's inability to interact with the physical realm, he could only interact with one being at a time. Fortunately, Yellow Diamond ordered some of Homeworld's most brilliant minds to construct a method for the demon to interact with multiple Gems at once. After two centuries of research and hard labor, the room was finally complete, much to Yellow Diamond's convenience and Blue Diamond's indifference. The rulers were unaware on how the room operated, but they hardly cared, so long as it got the job done.

The Diamonds didn't have to wait long before Bill Cipher made his grand entrance. The Diamond Authority insignia in the center of the room began to glow a bright blue. Maniacal laughter soon filled the room and gradually became louder and louder. Soon enough, a bright, yellow silted eye opened up in the middle of the triangle. Finally, the triangle rose from the ground and took the familiar form of the triangular demon. Bill Cipher was now before the two galactic tyrants.

" _Well well well,_ " the demon said. " _If it isn't my two favorite rocks in the whole universe! How've you guys been doing? Not cracking under all that pressure, I hope! Ha ha!_ " While the demon reveled in his own humor, the Diamonds could only frown at the rather tasteless joke. Bill seemed to just ignore them as he looked over to the Pearls. " _Oh hey cool! You decide to bring your little pets, how fun!_ " The demon then floated behind Yellow Pearl, who had begun with her log of this meeting. " _Hey there, Canary! Whatcha working on there? Still writing those romance logs about you and your precious Dimond?_ " The servant started to become flustered at this accusation. "W-What?! Get away, you cretin!" Bill simply laughed at this and floated off, while Yellow Pearl tried to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks. " _Well hello there Blue Bird,"_ the demon confronted Blue Pearl. _"Let me guess: You're gonna try and speak up to me for once, but instead completely chicken out and turn away from me!_ " The quiet servant tried her best to prove the dream demon wrong, but she instead proved his prediction right. " _Ha! Called it_!" Bill gloated.

"Enough Cipher!" Yellow Diamond yelled. She would not have any more of this foolishness. "I hope you didn't call this meeting just to torment my subjects." Bill then turned his attention away from Blue Pearl and floated up face-to-face with the yellow tyrant. " _Oh come on now, Yellow! I would never call up an important meeting like this just to do that! I'd just do it behind your back!_ " Yellow Diamond was about to give a retort to this, but the dream demon had floated over to her sister. Blue Diamond had been keeping her gaze to the floor, but she was then suddenly looking into the demon's eye. " _Hi there, Blue! Long time, no see huh? Still got that sad look on your face?_ " The demon then moved to the blue matriarch's side and stretched his arm around her shoulder. " _You need to get out of the house, girl! See the galaxy, try new things and stop crying over pink pebbles, if you catch my drift!_ "

"CIPHER!" Yellow Diamond had with Bill's mockery of Pink's demise. It wasn't the first time the dream demon had made light of their tragic loss, but she was always able to shrug it off in order to move to more important matters. However, Blue was hardly that resistant to the demon's lack of a filter. "If you have nothing of importance to speak with us about, then you can just leave!"

Bill narrowed his eye for a second, and then floated back to the center of the room with his arms folded behind his back. " _Always direct to the point, Yellow. But, I can respect that from a business partner. The reason why I decided to grace you all with my presence is to give you a rundown of what I'm up to. I'm in the process of…dealing with a certain problem that might affect our plans. A problem that involves a few…annoyances._ " The demon's eye began to glow red at the last part, clearly showing an anger that the Diamonds rarely saw.

This sudden seriousness from the demon manage to gain both Diamond's attention now. Yellow Diamond had a few theories on what Bill was referring to. She was painfully aware that there were a few rebels for the previous Gem War remaining on Earth. The sudden destruction of the Red Eye a few months ago was proof to that. There was also that insolent Peridot that had the audacity to insult the monarch to her face. However, Yellow Diamond hardly considered a handful of troublesome Gems damaging to their grand scheme for the blue planet. "If you're referring to the remaining rebels that are on Earth, I highly doubt that they of any concern. I've already sent a Ruby squadron to retrieve the leader of the failed Earth expedition and-" before she could finish, Bill suddenly interrupted her. " _Hold the phone there, Yellow! I'm not talking about those lame Crystal Chumps; those idiots couldn't stop us even if they tried! No, these are the annoyances I'm talking about!_ "

The dream demon snapped his fingers and three bright flames spontaneously burst in the middle of the room. After a few moments, the flames began to take shape as figures. While the Diamonds were expecting some ruthless warriors or cunning intellects, they were surprise to see what the flames had finally formed into. What stood before them were what appeared to be just three human children; two male and one female.

"Cipher," Yellow Diamond groaned as she rubbed her temple. "Of all the practical jokes you've played in the past, this one is the most asinine. Do you really expect us to believe that everything that we've built our empire on is under threat by three human children?!" Even Blue Diamond had a look of disbelief at the demon's bizarre claim. " _Trust me Yellow, I'd be laughing on the floor for days if this was just your problem! But unfortunately, these brats actually have the capacity to throw a wrench into our plans!_ " This was enough confirmation for the yellow tyrant to know that Bill wasn't joking with this matter. It was one thing for the demon to criticize how she ran Homeworld, but it was rather unheard of for him to cast doubt on his own accord.

Blue Diamond finally managed to speak up for the first time since the dream demon had arrived. "And what exactly is so special about these children that actually….frightens you?" For a moment, it was like the atmosphere was completely stiff. Even Yellow Diamond was surprised at the bold claim that the usually quiet ruler just said. Bill just narrowed his eye at the blue monarch before answering her question. " _We can discuss how I actually feeling about them later, Blue. But for now, how about I introduce you to the one that might catch you eye!_ " One of the figures was enlarged so that the matriarch could examine it better.

" _I'd like you to meet the one and only Steven Quartz Universe! Now, I know he isn't much of a looker, but why don't I show you something that'll really catch your eye!_ " When the demon lifted the boy's shirt up, all of the Gems in the room paused. Right in the middle of the boy's mid-section, was a pink gemstone. Both Diamonds and Pearls stared in complete disbelief. If what they were seeing was in fact reality, then they were looking right at the Gem that had shattered their sister. Finally, Yellow Diamond found the nerve to speak again. "You are joking," she said grimly. "There is no way that…thing is Rose Quartz!" Blue Diamond was unusually quiet. She was just staring at the pink stone, betraying no emotion whatsoever. " _Whatcha see is legit Yellow_ ," Bill said. " _What you see is the only remaining Rose Quartz gemstone in the whole universe missing from your 'collection'. Now, normally I would put in something extra in our deal for me to deliver that pretty rock to you to do whatever you want, but this one's on the house!_ "

Before Yellow Diamond could even question why the demon would grant such an uncharacteristic action, Blue Diamond interrupted. "And the other two humans? What about them?" Yellow Diamond was caught completely off guard at this. Why on Homeworld would Blue suddenly want to change the subject like this. "Blue, you do realize what this is implying right? We could actually-" her sister suddenly cut her off. "What. About. THEM?" the blue matriarch asked the demon again in an angry tone. Yellow Diamond knew it was rare for her sister to have this much rage, so instead of resisting, she let the demon continue his presentation. Bill then enlarged the other two figures, and the yellow tyrant couldn't help but notice that they looked rather identical.

" _Now I'd like you two to meet the other pains in my interdimensional ass: Dipper Pines and Mabel Pines! When separated, these two are just as pathetic as any other meat sack. But for some reason, these two become serious problem whenever they're together!_ " While the twins seemed unextraordinary by appearance, the Diamonds were not going to take any chances. "Are there any other surprises we should expect from them?" Blue Diamond said, suddenly taking an interest in the conversation now.

" _Eh, nothing too interesting. The girl is loud, annoying and generally useless! The boy's a little more interesting though. He tries to be smarter than everyone else and sure as hell doesn't know when to quit. Knows how to wield a blade, believe it or not. Definitely the more threating one of the two._ " Yellow Diamond listen carefully to what Bill was telling them. She paid particular attention to the boy. While he did seem rather unextraordinary, there was something about him that caused the gears in the back of her mind to turn. Something related to a certain project that she been keeping under wraps.

"So," Yellow Diamond said quietly. "You've brought up three problems to our little arrangement. Now my question is: What are you planning to do about it?" The yellow tyrant had to play this carefully. The demon was notoriously unpredictable. Bill then suddenly perked up as if he were all giddy with excitement. " _Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Yellow! Firstly, the girl,_ " the dream demon snapped his fingers and the girl dissipated into nothingness. " _She's the weakest link of the bunch, so she's barely worth the effort!_ " He then floated over between the other two children. " _Now these two, I got lots of plans for them! You see, these two caused me some problems for quite some time now. So I'm going to take care of them…..nice….and…_ ," Bill then suddenly shot both of his arms forward, right through the children's chests. It appeared that he was holding what looked like to be their hearts and proceeded to slowly crush them. " _Slow_."

Yellow Diamond was not one to show any sign of sympathy for any being, but even she counted herself rather lucky that it wasn't her who was on the end of the demon's wrath. "Regardless," Blue Diamond stated. "Whatever you plan to do them, we demand that you bring back the Rose Quartz gemstone. She has escaped our judgement for long enough." Yellow Diamond noticed the determined look that her sister was giving the demon. A look that she hadn't seen for thousands of years. " _Sure, not a problem Blue! You finally get to nab a war criminal and I get to kill some kids that mildly annoyed me, we all win! Soon, you'll finally be able to get over Pink and cry about something else stupid!_ "

Yellow Diamond stood up from her chair after this. This was the final straw. "Cipher, I have told you, time and time again, to refrain from bring up Pink in these conversations. My sister and I are still coming to terms with her demise, and your constant belittling of her is NOT appreciated! She was unfairly taken away from us from that lowly Rose Quartz. So, unless you have something of value to say about the subject at hand, I would suggest you SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" The Pearls abruptly stop their record-taking at this sudden outburst. Blue Diamond seem to bow her head again now that the topic of Pink was brought up again. This was the exact reason why she despised these meetings.

Bill just stared at the yellow tyrant for a moment before suddenly laughing. Before Yellow Diamond could retort to this inappropriate response, he spoke up. " _Oh Yellow, you wouldn't believe how hilarious it is that you still don't get it! You really think that Quartzy is the only one responsible for that screw up? Let me ask you a few things Yellow: Who was the one who let Pink have her own colony? Who was the one who knew that little brat was nowhere near as capable enough to handle something like? And finally, where were you when she was desperately calling out to her sisters?!_ " Yellow Diamond got right up into the demon's face. "What are you implying?!" she said trying to suppress her rage. Bill just gave a simple response. " _I'm saying that maybe Quartzy had a little help in turning Pink into ITTY BITTY PIECES!_ "

"ENOUGH!" Blue Diamond suddenly yelled. A blue aura suddenly engulfed the entire room. The Pearls suddenly began to suddenly cry, despite having no negative emotions. Even Yellow Diamond couldn't stop the tears from escaping her eyes, as she tried to keep her professional appearance in front of the demon. However, Bill seemed to not be affected by the aura's effect.

" _Ha ha! You never cease to entertain me, Blue!_ " The aura soon dissipated as the demon made his way back to the center of the room. " _Well, I'd better get going now. I got a living hell to cook up for a few children. Don't worry though, once I'm done with them, I'll make sure to tear that gemstone from Rose Bud's lifeless corpse and hand it over to you two. Hope you don't mind it being covered in blood! And once those brats are out of the way, they be nothing stopping us from carrying out our deal! I'll make sure to keep you posted! Until then, I'LL ALWAYS BE WATCHING!_ " After a sudden bright flash, Bill Cipher was gone.

Blue Diamond stood up from her chair and proceeded to put up her hood again. She then made her way over to the door, her Pearl right behind her, then Yellow Diamond spoke up to her. "Never seen you so determine during these meetings. It appears my previous dealings are finally paying off for us." she said, holding a bit of pride in her words. Perhaps now Blue would finally see that she had made the right decision. Blue Diamond only paused for a second before finally responding. "He wasn't wrong, you know." The blue matriarch then left the room. The yellow tyrant just sat there for moment, soaking in the implications that her sister had just made. Yellow Diamond would certainly need to talk about this later.

"Pearl," Yellow Diamond said, catching the servant off guard. "Connect me to the Peridot in charge of that…project." It was time to for a progress report. "Right away, my Diamond!" Yellow Pearl proclaimed. The servant then fiddled around with her screen, and then lifted it to the yellow tyrant. After waiting for the call to connect, the screen showed a Peridot with a square hairstyle seemingly preoccupied with something in the background.

"Stupid, clod forsaken, piece of junk! Why won't you just stop being such a clod and just-" the Homeworld technician yelled before being interrupted. "Peridot." Yellow Diamond stated in her normal authoritative tone. The Peridot turned around to see who was calling to her, before suddenly jumping at who it turned out to be. "Gaaah! My Diamond!" she said as she quick made the Homeworld salute with her arms. "My apologies, I was just working with some pesky machines and I-" The yellow up her hand and the green Gem immediately fell silent. "Give me a report on the project I assigned you." She sternly said.

The Peridot gave a large gulp before giving her report. "The….B.A.H., the BioAugmented Hunter Project, is progressing rather…slowly. Integrating the Gem augments with the nervous system without the subject expiring is proving rather difficult. It is also rather difficult for me to retrieve new subjects from the Zoo without notice from Blue Diamond, by your request of course. By our current projections, it's estimated that it should take about three hundred fifty star-cycles before completion…my Diamond!"

The yellow tyrant furrowed her brow at this, but then relaxed her face. She was a patient Gem and if it meant better results, she could wait. "Do not rush the project to impress me Peridot. Something like this cannot be rushed if we want exemplary results. However, try to lower the estimates by three hundred star-cycles." The Peridot was quick to give another salute. "Right away, my Diamond! Is there anything else you wish to discuss?!" Yellow Diamond was silent for a moment before speaking again. "There is something else I'd like to discuss." She quietly muttered. Her thought drifted back to that child that had caught her interest that Bill had shown her.

"Something about a…possible candidate."


	12. Much Needed Comfort

Much Needed Comfort

A sequel to Clipped Wings

Peridot was extremely concerned with her roommate. Over the past few days, Lapis had held on to her resolve to completely stop sleeping. During the day, she would just read or watch reruns of Camp Pining Heart like how she usually spent her day. At night, she would do the same thing but also fly laps around the barn to keep herself awake. Normally, this lack of sleep wouldn't be harmful for a Gem since Gems didn't require sleep naturally. However, Lapis had made a regular habit of the human ritual, and now she had stopped it cold turkey. As a result, the blue Gem was suffering both physically and mentally. She had bags under her eyes and always seemed to be slumping over. She had become even more moody than usual and always tried to distance herself from the Gem technician.

Peridot couldn't see her roommate like this anymore. Ever since they had made up and moved in together, the green Gem thought very highly of Lapis Lazuli. Now that they were both Homeworld refugees, Peridot was able to really get to know the blue Gem better. While others would say that the Gem could be cold and unempathetic, Peridot thought she was just introverted and just not used to Earth. The green Gem always enjoyed talking about Camp Pining Hearts and listening to her soothing voice and looking into her gentle eyes and-

"Grrrr, quit thinking like that, you clod," Peridot told herself quietly. "This isn't about these 'feelings' you've been having for Lapis! Right now, you're here to just talk to her and help her sleep…by getting really close to her and…oh stars!" For a while now, Peridot had been having some strange thoughts about the water Gem. Peridot had decided to tell Mabel about this, but the strange girl seem to randomly freak out over this confession. Mabel then borrowed the green Gem's tablet and showed her some articles on 'romance' located on the Internet for Peridot to look over. For the rest of that day, a dark green blush remained on Peridot's face.

But now wasn't the time to contemplate these feelings. Now was the time for the green Gem to take action. She wasn't going to stand by and watch her friend suffer like this. Peridot had done some research on the Internet, and she believed that she had a solution to the blue Gem's insomnia. All it would take would be a little convincing to Lapis and a lot of courage from Peridot. The Gem technician quietly entered the barn. After scanning the room, she found the blue Gem huddled in a corner with a book. Simply put, Lapis still looked terrible from her lack of sleep. Peridot had to do something about this.

"Umm, Lapis?" she meekly said. Lapis then turned around to look at the green Gem. The bags under her eyes and her sullen face made Peridot feel sad and somewhat intimidated at the same time. "Peridot," she said tiredly. "I told you I just want to be alone, okay? I'm fine." Peridot wasn't buying this for a second. Everything on the blue Gem's face indicated that she was _not_ fine.

"Umm, Lapis, I've been thinking," Peridot began. "I know you said that you're fine and everything, but I really don't think you are. Ever since you stopped sleeping, you've been…different. Your attitude's been really suffering and…you just look terrible! As your roommate, I can't help but worry about you!" Lapis began to stand up and walk towards the technician. Peridot was extremely worried that she had upset the water Gem and she was going to yell at her. Instead however, Lapis just put her hand on Peridot's shoulder and gave a tired sigh. "Peridot, I know you're worrying about me like how you worry about a lot of things," she said as Peridot gave a small blush. "But I really don't think you can help me with this. I just need to avoid sleep for a while. It'll be fine, I promise."

Peridot gave Lapis a sad look. She could tell that the blue Gem was being sincere with her, but she knew that Lapis was really suffering from this. "No Lapis, it wouldn't be fine!" Peridot insisted. "You always said that sleep was an amazing way for you to destress from all this craziness that's been happening lately. You convinced me to give it a try, and I can't tell you how helpful it's been! You helped me discover something healthy for me and you shouldn't have to give it up! So, I think I've found a solution!" Peridot took a few steps back and made a pose that she usually took went presenting something. "Using the vast knowledge of the Internet, I have been able to locate a method to assist in sleep that requires two individuals. The basic concept is that when laying down, one person, usually the dominant one, would wrap their arms around the other person's midsection. The other partner, therefore, would rest their back against the dominant partner's stomach, thus completing the process!"

The blue Gem gave the Gem a confused look. "You mean, like cuddling?" she said, trying to understand her strange logic. Peridot became rather flustered at how bluntly Lapis had put it, but she continued with her professionalism. "Y-yes, that is certainly one way of putting it! I propose that we enact this method in order to assist you with your lack of sleep. Given our difference in size, it would make sense if you were to be the dominant partner. So, what do say, Lazuli?!" Peridot finished off, giving a flashing smile in hopes of convincing the water Gem with this plan.

Lapis was silent for a moment, and put on a face of uncertainty. Peridot's hopes were starting to break at the blue Gem's initial reaction. While thankfully it didn't appear that Lapis was disgusted with the idea, but it was also apparent that she wasn't entirely on board with it either. Finally, it appeared that Lapis had made her decision. "Peridot," she said gently, "I…appreciate that you're looking into this, but you really don't have to. All I need is to have some space for a while to sort things out. I don't want to stress you out with what I'm going though. You just…be your usual self and let me figure this out on my own." Lapis turned around to retreat into her corner and continue reading her book. However, she was surprised when she felt two, short arms wrap around her midsection.

Peridot was getting very desperate by this point. She couldn't lose this chance to help her friend and roommate. "Lapis, please," the green Gem pleaded. "I can't see you like this anymore! How can I in good conscious continue being happy here while you're wallowing in your own misery? You don't deserve to be like that! Please just give this a chance! If it doesn't work out, we can stop and I'll completely drop the issue! It's just…if there's something I can do to help you, I at least want to try!" Lapis slowly turned around and looked down at the little Gem's pleading face. Whether it was the desperation in Peridot's voice or the touching thought that she cared so much, Lapis sighed and gave a soft smile. "Okay, we can try it."

Peridot's face lit up, immediately grabbed Lapis by the hand, and led her to the hammock. The hammock was nothing entirely special, just a large blanket suspended in the air by two posts in the barn. However, it was all Lapis needed to have a small nap when she wasn't on top of the silo. The pair had made it to the said hammock, but stopped right in front of it. Now that this was actually happening, Peridot was starting to get nervous. Now that the green Gem was going to get intimately close with Lapis, those feelings that she had put aside began to surface again. Peridot was ready to go through with this plan in order to help her friend, so why were her legs starting to shake? Peridot's thoughts were interrupted when Lapis finally spoke up. "So…do I get in first and then you get in with me?" Lapis said with uncertainty.

"Yes! T-then after that, you wrap your arms around my midsection and I'll lean back into you. Easy!" the Gem technician said, trying to hide her nervousness. Lapis looked her for bit, but then nodded and got into the hammock. Peridot tried to suppress her blush as she Lapis laying in the hammock, leaving enough room for the green Gem to get in with her. Peridot took a deep breath as she began to get in the hammock, determined not to back out of this now. She gently got into the hammock and turned her back towards Lapis. The water Gem did as she was instructed earlier and wrapped her slender blue arms around Peridot's waist. Peridot then pushed her back gently into Lapis's stomach to complete the action. Although she could hardly believe it, Peridot was now nestled in the blue Gem's embrace.

For the first five minutes, neither Gem said anything. For Peridot, she was still baffled that she had been able to get in this position with Lapis in the first place. It was all for helping with her sleeping problem of course, but Peridot still felt an unexplainable warmth throughout her body. The Gem technician decided to finally speak up. "So…how do you feel?" she said quietly. She wasn't able to properly gauge Lapis's reaction since her back was turned to her. After another few seconds of silence, Lapis spoke up. "It's…different. I wouldn't say it's good or bad at the moment, but it definitely doesn't feel unpleasant." Peridot gave a soft smile at this, as she was glad that her plan was slightly beginning to work. The green Gem then decided to recall more information that she had collected on the Internet. "We don't…necessarily have to go to sleep right away. Most partners usually talk about stuff before they drift off to sleep." Peridot explained to Lapis. "So, is there anything you want to talk about?"

Silence filled the room again, making Peridot very anxious again. The Gem technician did not want to make Lapis uncomfortable, especially now that they were finally in this position. But to her relief, Lapis did raise a question. However, it was a question that she did not expect. "Peridot….would you do anything for Steven?" Peridot was completely caught off-guard by this. What kind of question was that? It was true that she thought very highly of the young Gem for giving her a second chance when nobody else would. But why would Lapis suddenly put the Steven's safety into question? Regardless, the green Gem decided to answer her question.

"I-I mean, yes I would do anything for Steven! He's was the one of the only ones who gave me a chance and let me live on this planet. He showed me how beautiful it is here and told me that I deserve a place here. I may not be completely combat ready, but I would still do anything for him. Why do you ask?" Lapis then tightened her embrace around Peridot, which made her blush even more. "I don't know," Lapis said. "I just worry about him sometimes. Gravity Falls is full of a lot of dangerous stuff. I just hope that he doesn't get hurt…or worse."

Peridot knew where Lapis was coming from. The Gem technician knew firsthand how intense the local anomalies that resided in the woods can be. It was definitely not the safety place for a young boy like Steven to be in. However, she also knew that Steven was quite special as well. Steven was much more capable than most children his age, not to mention he had the Crystal Gems to watch over him. "I worry about him too Lapis," Peridot said. "But I also think that he'll be fine. He has Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl to make sure he doesn't get in too much trouble. Besides, you know Steven! More likely than not, he'll talk his way out of any predicament with that 'Steven Charm'!" Lapis gave a soft chuckle at this, knowing exactly what the green Gem was talking about. "Ha, I guess you're right. Steven is pretty great." Peridot could definitely agree to that sentiment. Who knew that there was someone in this big universe that could give so much love to others?

The water Gem decided to raise another question. "What about Dipper? Would you do anything for him?" This was a much more difficult question for the green Gem. It wasn't like Peridot disliked the inquisitive boy, it was just she thought that Dipper still didn't like her. A lot had changed since Peridot had done those despicable things in the past for Homeworld. In that time, it seemed that Dipper had put aside his previous grudge towards her and finally accepted her. However, Peridot still thought that Dipper still hated her for what she did to Lapis. It was one of the reasons why it was easier for the Gem technician to form a bond with Mabel instead. "I-I don't think Dipper likes me very much. I think he's still mad at me for what I did when I was with Homeworld. I guess I can't blame him though." Peridot said as she buried her face into Lapis's arms.

However, Peridot was surprised to suddenly hear Lapis laughing softly. She raised her head as Lapis began to explain. "You really do worry too much, you know that? Dipper's really is warming up to you. We talked about you and while he admitted he was mad at you back then, you really have proved yourself to him. He knows that you've changed and he appreciates that you spend time with Mabel as well. Dipper thinks you're good, but he still thinks you're still a little bit of a clod!" The green Gem put on a warm smile at this. She could tell Lapis was being genuine and it was a giant relief on her mind that Dipper didn't still feel content towards her. "He's the clod." Peridot said in a joking manner. Lapis then suddenly tightened her grip around the green Gem again. "Hey, that's not nice!" Lapis giggled. The two Homeworld refugees couldn't help but continue to laugh for a while.

After the laughter died down, Peridot was finally feeling good about her plan. Her and Lapis were talking and Lapis seemed to be much more at ease. Peridot was then surprised when the water Gem rested her head on the Peridot's shoulder. "Peridot," she began. "Thank you for this. This is actually really helping me. It always seems like you always know what to do. You're pretty smart, you know that?" Peridot could no longer suppress the blush from spreading to all over her face. It wasn't often that the water Gem gave out compliments to people other than Dipper or Steven. So, hearing this from her gave the Gem technician a sort of happiness that she had never felt before.

"I'm sorry that I was trying to avoid you Peridot," Lapis continued. "I was just in a really bad place, and the lack of sleep didn't really help. I hope that you didn't think that I was avoiding you because of something you did. It wasn't your fault….it was _his_ fault." At first, Peridot was relieved that Lapis's recent mood swings and lack of sleep wasn't her fault. However, she became confused at this third person Lapis was referring to. "His? Who are talking about?" the green Gem asked. Lapis then squeezed Peridot a little tighter again. "Nobody really," she said. "Just some guy who invaded a dream I had and…just messed with me. I think he called himself Bill Cipher."

If there was blood that ran through Peridot's body, it would have run cold at the mention of Bill Cipher. It took all of the green Gem's will to prevent herself from having a full-blown panic attack. Out of everything that could been bothering Lapis, why did have to be that sadistic dream demon?! Peridot had yet to tell her roommate about her encounter with Bill, and she was determined to keep that way. There was no way that Peridot could find the courage to admit how weak she was when the dream demon took advantage of her. She also dreaded how she helped the demon put both the kids and the Crystal Gems in danger. While she wasn't aligned with them at the time, that didn't stop her from feeling terrible about after she had officially joined them. Whenever Bill Cipher was mentioned, Peridot would hear his demented laughter and could only cringe.

"Peridot, are you okay?" Lapis asked Peridot. The Gem technician snapped out of her daze and tried to regain her composure. She couldn't let the blue Gem find out that Bill's name caused her to slightly panic. "I fine! I-I mean, I'm fine. I think you shouldn't worry too much about it, Lapis. It was just a dream, everything will be fine. Okay?" Peridot said, trying her best to convince Lapis. For a moment, Lapis was quiet for a moment, but eventually let out a small yawn. "Maybe you're right. I mean, it was just a dream after." Lapis said while Peridot gave a silent sigh of relief.

The water Gem then rested her head on Peridot's shoulder again and gave another small yawn. "I think I'm gonna try and rest my eyes for a bit, okay? Just wake me up in a little bit. Night, Peri." And just like that, the blue Gem then drifted off to sleep. Peridot should have been happy that she had succeeded in finally getting lapis to sleep, but her mind was still on other matters. Why would Bill go after Lapis all the sudden, and what did he want with her? The Gem technician wanted to think about this further, but think about Bill Cipher just made her feel uncomfortable. Instead, the green Gem decided to think about it later and just let the overcoming sleep envelope her. "Goodnight…Lapis Lazuli." Peridot slowly closed her eyes and snuggled into Lapis's arms. The barn was quiet as the two cuddled Gems gently fell asleep.

Unfortunately, neither of the Homeworld refugees didn't notice the menacing shadow of a triangle slowly encroaching on the green Gem.


	13. Past and Self Reflections

Past and Self Reflections

A sequel to Much Needed Comfort

Peridot woke up to a strange sensation. Unfortunately, it wasn't the new sensation of waking up in the comfort of Lapis's arms. Rather, it was the sensation that she was laying down on a cold, hard surface. Peridot slowly opened her eyes to properly assess her surroundings. At first, the Gem technician just thought that she had fallen off the hammock while she was asleep and landed on the barn floor. However, she was met with a different sight that she was also rather familiar with: space.

Peridot gazed at the twinkling stars in absolute shock and awe. She looked down to her feet to see that she was standing on a green, glass-like surface. There was something eerily familiar about the surface, however she put her finger on it. She then looked around to see that there were what appeared to be five short columns with the same green coloring. Peridot then peered at what was between two of the middle columns and was shocked. The blue ocean mixed with the green landscapes was without a shadow of a doubt the planet that the green Gem came to know and love; Earth.

That was when Peridot was starting to realize were she was. Those weren't green columns surrounding her, they were fingers. She wasn't just standing on a floor, she was standing in the middle of a palm. In spite of all logic and reason, Peridot was back on the Hand Ship that she took to get to Earth all of those months ago. This time, the ship appeared to be floating in the Earth's upper atmosphere; positioned as if it was holding something in the palm of its hand. While the Gem technician was able to figure out where she was, there was still one other thing on her mind. How the heck did she go from cuddling with her roommate in their barn to standing on a ship that reminded her too much of her dreaded past.

Peridot would soon get her answer from one of her greatest nightmares.

The green Gem began to hear a soft sound, which was rather odd consider that she was in space. The sound seemed to grow louder and louder as time went on, and Peridot was slowing able to make it out. It sounded like laughter, of all thing, which only confused the Gem technician more. As the laughter became louder, it seemed like it was resonating all around her. The laugh was finally loud enough for the green Gem to recognize it. It was a rather loud, high-pitch laugh that had somehow had a hint of sadism in it. That was when Peridot's mind suddenly went blank and her breaths became short and ragged from terror.

"No," she muttered under her panicked breath. "No, this can't be happening! There's no way that this is happening!" The green Gem couldn't face the one who had shaken her to the core, not again.

" _Oh it's happening, Greenie!_ " Peridot turned around in absolute horror. She came face-to-face with a figure that had been burned into her mind. The single, silted eye seemed to pierce right through her soul. The bright yellow light emitting from the triangular form was slightly stinging her eyes. The cane that the demon was holding made her flinch every time it got close to her. Bill Cipher was just as menacing as she remembered him on that day. The day that marked her darkest and most embarrassing moment in her entire life. That's why it was no surprise when Peridot gave a frightful scream after confronting the dream demon.

The dream demon only gave a sadistic laugh at the green Gem's terror. " _Well well well,_ " the demon said as he floated down to the terrified Gem. " _If it isn't my good old buddy, Greenie! Haven't seen you in a long while! Not since our last visit, huh? Man let me tell you, I've been around the block for a while now, but you were probably the easiest person to mess with! And your reaction was just PRICELESS! You should've seen the look on your face when I-_ "

"STOP!" Peridot shouted at the dream demon. Just thinking about what Bill did to her in the past just caused her to shiver all over. She could even bare to hear the demon mention it with such glee. "Don't you DARE bring that up again! You will not hold that over my head forever, and I will no longer be intimidated by you any longer!" she yelled at the sadistic triangle. Peridot tried her best to put on a brave face against the demon, but her fear was still festering in the back of her mind.

Bill was quiet for a moment, but Peridot could have sworn that he was holding back a snicker. " _Ah whatever, Greenie. I'm not her to talk about the past, as hilarious as it is! Tell you what though, I'll make it up to you! Here's a little gift from me!_ " With a snap of his fingers, the demon's "gift" instantly materialized on the Gem technician. When she looked down, it appeared that there were heavy, metallic cylinders had encased her arms and legs. Upon closer inspection, Peridot was able to recognize that they had a similar appearance to her old limb enhancers. The only difference was that the fingers and feet were missing, leaving the green Gem completely unable to move her hands and feet. Needless to say, Peridot was far from amused with her new constraints.

" _You like 'em, I made them just for you!_ " the demon gloated. " _These babies will make sure you can't use those dumb metal tricks that your apparently so proud of. And they can let me do this!_ " The dream demon snapped his fingers again and Peridot's arms were suddenly pulled to the ground. She tried to lift herself off the floor, but it appeared that the was magnetized. Her new constraints were attracted to the magnetizing force, causing the green Gem to remain on her hands and knees in front of Bill. "Grrr, why are you doing this, you cretin! Are you just trying to embarrass me for some sick entertainment?!" the Gem technician protested.

" _Normally, that would be the case, Greenie,_ " the sadistic triangle said, folding his arms behind him. " _But this is pure business. You see, I like to think that it's my job to wake people up from their sappy little fantasies they sometimes have and get them back on track. And you got it really bad, Greenie! What with this whole 'turning over a new leaf' garbage! Why the heck are you trying to change?!_ " The green Gem gave the demon a confused look. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Bill rolled his eye and wrapped his arm around her. " _I'm talking about how you're trying to be a goodie-goodie two shoes now! It's turning you into a pathetic loser! I mean, let's look at how you once were._ "

With another snap of the demon's fingers, a figure suddenly appeared in from of them. Peridot instantly recognized the figure as how she looked when she was still aligned with Homeworld. But at the same time, the green Gem had a difficult time recognizing the Gem in front of her. Standing tall and rigid, the old Peridot towered before her thanks to her limb enhancers. Her face was cold and unempathetic, betraying no emotion other than indifference. She looked hard into the clone's eyes, but could only find a dark, empty void. While the current Peridot was reflecting on her past appearance, Bill decided to interrupt.

" _See, now THIS is someone with potential! Look at the cold, dead expression in your eyes! Look at that dedication to the suffering of other just to impress her superiors! Sure, you were a little rough around the edges, but nothing a little polishing from yours truly wouldn't solve! You could've gone so far on this pathetic rock! But now…_ " The dream demon poofed the past Peridot away with the flick of a wrist and went in front of the Gem technician. " _You're just a pathetic weakling! No authority, no limb enhancers, just another embarrassment that has to stand on her tippy-toes just to reach stuff on the top shelf. You totally fit in with those Crystal Chumps!_ " Peridot felt rather hurt at the demon's insult to her appearance and physique. The loss of her limb enhancers had been a rather difficult adjustment for her in the beginning. Not only were there the physical obstacles very apparent, but she didn't help but feel somewhat inferior without them. However, the Gem technician then remembered some words of wisdom that a certain hyper-active girl gave her. "Mabel said that I'm perfect the way I am," she stated with resolve. "And she also said that anyone who thinks otherwise are just a bunch of jerks that don't deserve my attention!"

Bill paused for a moment before he started bursting out laughing. " _Wait wait wait, you're telling me that your taking advice from Shooting Star?! That is the most HILAIOUS thing I've heard all day! Take it from me Greenie, her and the rest of the Pines family are a bunch of shady liars! They're all too afraid to voice their actual feelings and opinions about others, so that just put on convincing faces! Why else do you think Pin Tree is pretending to be so nice to you?!_ " Peridot was confused for a moment, but she was finally able to figure out who he was referring to. "Wait, what do you mean Dipper is pretending to be nice to me? He's already forgiven me for what I did for Homeworld, even though I may not deserve it." she said defending her relationship with the boy.

" _Oh really?!_ " the dream said. The Gem technician then became rather alarmed when Bill suddenly grew larger. " _Then why don't we take a look at what he really thought about you when you were trying to redeem yourself!_ " The bottom half of the dream demon suddenly cut to static from a screen. When it cleared, Peridot saw what appeared to be footage of Dipper and Steven in mid conversation down at the Mystery Shack.

" _I don't get it Steven, why do you trust her so much? You do remember all of those things she did to us, right?!" Dipper said in a frustrated tone. "Come on Dipper, I know that she did some bad stuff in the past, but she's really trying to help us with the drill now. Give her a chance!" Steven defended the green Gem. The inquisitive boy was getting frustrated now. "Give her a chance?! After she tried to kidnap you and the Gems? After she insulted us time and time again? After what she did to Lapis?!" Dipper shouted out._

 _Steven was rather appealed by this exclamation. "Dipper, that's not fair! You know that Peridot didn't trap Lapis down under the lake, that was Jasper!" Dipper just gave an aggravated sigh. "I know that Steven, but that doesn't excuse her involvement. She could be the same Peridot that tried to destroy Earth. The only reason she's helping us in the first place is because she's in as much danger from the Cluster as we all are!" Dipper then turned away from the young Gem and folded his arms. "When all this stuff with the Cluster is taken care of, I think we should bubble Peridot again. It'll be safer that way."_

 _The young Gem was quiet for a moment, unable to respond to such a terrible plan. "Wait, what?! Dipper, we can't do that to Peridot! She really is coming around, I know it! We just have to trust her and I know she'll-"_

" _No!" Dipper interrupted Steven. "I'm tired of being fooled and taken advantage of! Peridot hasn't changed, she's still the same terrible Gem that will stab us in the back when she gets the chance. And that's who she'll always be."_

The screen cut to static and Bill returned to his usual size. " _Yeesh, talk about trust issues, am I right?!_ " the demon gloated. " _I could just feel the scorn and distrust pouring out of Pine Tree's mouth! I guess he really did never have any faith in you, Greenie! And have a gut feeling that he still has some of those feelings deep inside of him too. Hatred like that never really just disappears like that. And to think, you were actually trying so hard to get on those meatsacks' good side, and Pine Tree still thought that you were a monster! How does that feel?_ " Peridot's arms were still constraint to the ground, so she couldn't stop the lone tears that were streaming down her face. The green Gem had always assumed that Dipper was not as accepting to her as Steven and Mabel was when they were working on the drill. She didn't have to read minds to know that the boy was still distrustful of her back then due to past allegiance to Homeworld. But to now actually hear him say that with such genuine conviction was just too much for the Gem technician.

"But…Lapis told me…" Peridot muttered, trying to recall the conversation she had with the blue Gem a little while ago. " _Yeah, how about we talk about Water Wings,_ " Bill interrupted the Gem technician. "And how much of a dumb move it is to actually count on her." Peridot was taken aback at the dream demon's outrageous claim. " _In case you haven't noticed, Water Wings is a complete coward that only cares about herself. The second danger gets to close for comfort, she'll flies away on those puny wings to save her own gemstone! I bet that if you were in danger and you were reaching out to her for help, all you would see is her back as she's flying away from you! Who would be stupid enough to trust anything someone like that says?! The only time when she actually thinks about someone other than herself is when it involves Pine Tree or Rose Bud._ "

Bill then summoned two symbols in engulfed in blue flames in each of his hands; Peridot recognizing them as Rose Quartz's insignia and the pine tree symbol that was on Dipper's hat. " _I have big plans to finally show those two where their place is," the demon stated. Peridot slightly cringed when Bill slowly crushed the symbols in his hands into nothingness. "And Water Wings was freaking out when I told her that! So, I made an offer to back off as long as she promised me a small favor. She refused of course, but I could definitely see the doubt running through her mind. All she needs is a little….incentive with making a decision. That's the thing about sentimental cowards like Water Wings, they're just too easy to manipulate…just like a puppet_!"

Peridot took a deep breath, something inside the Gem technician's mind finally snapped. She didn't know whether it was from the threat Bill made to the boy, the unnecessary soiling of Lapis's good character or just Bill's carefree attitude about this in general. Peridot only had one thought going through her mind: She had enough. "Listen closely," the green Gem mutter before converting to angry yell. "I will not let you talk bad about me, Dipper, Steven and ESPECIALLY Lapis anymore. I do NOT need my limb enhancers to feel like I'm powerful and confident about my self-image! I do NOT need to be shown what Dipper USED to think about me, because I know that he has forgiven me now! And I do not need you spilling out constant lies about Lapis! She does care about me along with Dipper and Steven and I know that she would never take a deal with the likes of you! So how about you do something useful, and leave me alone. YOU CLOD!" Silence filled the air as Peridot finally finished her tangent. The green Gem couldn't help but feel a sense of low-key satisfaction from what she just told the dream demon. However, that feeling soon dissipated as she saw Bill float down to her. He did _not_ look amused.

" _Well, I bet you feel clever about insulting me like did to Yellow, Greenie._ " The demon said in a cold tone. " _Fortunately for you, she was halfway across the universe when you did. Why don't show you what_ _ **really**_ _happens when you speak up against your betters._ " But Peridot could even think, Bill struck her in the face with the back of his hand. A sharp burning was felt across the Gem technician's cheek. And because her arms were still constrained, she couldn't caress her injury to ease the pain. The stinging was so bad, new tears start to emerge from the green Gem's eyes. " _Bet that brings up some good memories from back on Homeworld, huh? You may think that you're strong now, but I think you just have to be reminded about what you really are. A lousy peon who can't take orders even to save her sorry existence!"_ Bill then floated away from the Gem he just struck.

" _Well it's been fun Greenie, but I have other matters to attend to. I don't think someone as pathetic as you deserves more of my time of day. So just remember to think about what I told you now, before it's too late and I have to do something_ _ **drastic**_ _! I'll be keeping eye on you, so don't be getting any crazy ideas about 'acceptances' or 'strength'! See you later!_ " Bill Cipher then emitted a bright flash and he was gone. Peridot thought it was over until she felt the ground tremble. The fingers of the Hand Ship began to rise into the air and close in on her. The Hand Ship was slowly balling up into a fist, leaving the Gem technician to be crushed in the middle. Her metal constraints were still firmly attached to the floor, leaving the green Gem no chance of escape.

The only thing she could do was scream at her oncoming demise.

* * *

Peridot was shrieking uncontrollably as she was struggling to free herself from the tight grasp she was in. The green Gem did everything from kicking to thrashing, trying to free herself from Bill's hold. After a full minute of this, she was finally calm enough to hear the voice talking to her.

"Peridot! PERIDOT! Calm down, it's just me!" Peridot heard as she was suddenly turned around face her captor. However, instead of facing the one-eyed demon, she was looking into the soft, gentle eyes of Lapis. The green Gem quickly scan the room to confirm that she was still in the hammock in the barn. She then looked back to Lapis and noticed the shock and worry in her face. "Peridot, what happen?! Why were you screaming?! Are you hurt?!" Lapis then lifted her hand to caress the green Gem's check, only for her to wince in pain. Peridot could still feel the sting from when Bill struck her. The memories of the encounter were flooding back into her mind with excessive details. Peridot then couldn't stop herself from suddenly giving the blue Gem a tight hug.

"Lapis!" she cried out. The Gem technician was starting to uncontrollably sob. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner! Bill came to me in a dream! He said things that really scared me! He reminded me of what he did to me a month ago! I didn't tell you because…because…" Peridot couldn't finish as she broke down into tears. Peridot just cried for a minute before she felt Lapis gently rubbing her back, which calmed her down. "It's okay, Peridot." The blue Gem whispered.

"You're safe now. You safe with me now."


	14. Drama and Discourse

Drama and Discourse

A sequel to Ever-Changing Self Worth

Garnet was dealing with a rather alien feeling for her: nervousness. Whether it was during a mission or acting as the voice of reason, she had always kept her cool. It was an essential trait to have to properly lead the Crystal Gems. However, there were multiple situations where even she had difficulties with dealing with a problem. She wasn't perfect after all, so it made sense that she couldn't rationalize every conflict by herself. This conflict on how to deal with Bill Cipher was no different.

After learning that the dream demon had made a visit to Pearl via her future vision, the fusion decided it was time deal with this problem as a team. Therefore, the Gem leader sent the white Gem to fetch Amethyst to for an important discussion. She didn't tell Pearl what the meeting would be about, in hopes of not disturbing her. The Gem leader had seen possible futures where Amethyst encountered the dream demon, but she wanted to be certain for herself. Garnet was now leaning against the counter in the kitchen, waiting for the remaining Gems to return from the Temple. She starting to become concerned, seeing how it was taking longer than usual to fetch the purple Gem.

Garnet was about to go in the Temple herself, but the door to Amethyst's room opened up. Both Gems walked through the door, and Garnet's fears were confirmed. Instead of her usual, care-free appearance, Amethyst looked completely distraught. The purple Gem had her head down and just stared at the floor. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, a clear sign that she had been thrashing about. Pearl was behind her, holding on to her shoulders as an attempt to comfort her. Garnet knew that Amethyst was rather fragile when it came to her emotions, and it looked like Bill had completely taken advantage of that. That was why Garnet had to approach this carefully.

Garnet kneeled on one knee to match Amethyst's eye level. "Amethyst," she said gently. "Please look at me." The purple Gem hesitated for moment, but she eventually looked at the fusion. Garnet could see the tear stains on the Gem's cheeks as she looked into her eyes. The Gem leader's anger for the dream demon began to rise, but she was able to remain calm and continued on. "I know what happen to you," she then looked up to face Pearl. "And I know what happened to Pearl as well." Pearl looked surprised for a moment, then guiltily faced away from the fusion. Garnet then looked back to Amethyst. "I know you're still shaken by Bill, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. We're going to have to talk about this issue, but I promise I won't make you say anything you don't want to."

Amethyst was quiet for a moment, but finally able to find words again. "Fine, let's just get this over with." she said in a dejected tone. The purple Gem made her way over to the couch and plopped down to it. Pearl decided to go across the room to lean against the wall; preferring to stand rather than sit. Finally, the Gem leader made her way back to where she was before the two Gems arrived. Now that all the Crystal Gems were present in the room, they could finally begin this rather difficult discussion.

"Now," Garnet began. "When Bill decided invaded your minds, did he mention anything about his plans for Steven and Dipper to you?" Pearl and Amethyst were slight surprised when the fusion brought up the two boys. They had expected Garnet to ask how the demon had personally attacked them, so they were rather confused about the subject of Dipper and Steven. Pearl just sighed though, deciding to just answer the Gem leader's question. The white Gem knew that Garnet always wanted to get an answer before explaining herself. "Well, he criticized how I was training Dipper to fight and he brought up certain…feelings that I use to have for Steven when he was an infant. Besides that, nothing else." Pearl said, struggling to admit the harsh truths that the demon told her. Amethyst was still staring at the floor, but still answered the fusion's question. "Ros…I mean Bill said something about doing something to Steven and Dipper, but he didn't really go into detail or whatever."

Garnet nodded her head and let out a sigh. "So, he wasn't as direct about it to you two then." Amethyst and Pearl looked to the Gem leader wondering what she had meant by this. This was the part that Garnet had really dreaded. "When Bill came to me in my dream, he mentioned that he would do something terrible to Dipper and Steven for constantly interfering with his plans. Something that I still have trouble even thinking about." The fusion began to clench her fists, but continued. "When Steven and Dipper fuse to form Stepper at some point, Bill plans to put them in a state of forced fusion. They won't be able to separate, and Bill plans to use that as a way to torture them." Garnet finished, leaving dead silence in the room.

At first, neither of the Gems knew how to respond to this. The mere idea of using something as special as fusion as a form of twisted torture was revolting. Fusion was an important part for each of the Gems. Ever since the Sardonyx fiasco, Pearl had learned that fusion was a delicate process that shouldn't be abused just for personal satisfaction. But now Bill wanted to use it for the complete opposite: a form of punishment. Amethyst just couldn't comprehend how fusion could even be used like that. Fusion was meant to make Gems feel like a better version of themselves, not as a way to make them worse. Neither of the Gems could comprehend the dream demon's twisted scheme.

"W-what?! Garnet you can't be serious! Using fusion that matter is just…it's just just….unheard of! Surely, you just misheard that cretin, right?!" Pearl exclaimed. Garnet lowered her head, wishing that she could agree with the white Gem. "It's true," the Gem leader explained. "I don't know how he'll do it or when he's planning to do it, but he told me himself. He's dead set on making Steven and Dipper suffer." Another bout of silence filled the room, none of the Gem knowing how to comprehend this.

"Well, then what the hell are we supposed to do then?!" Amethyst finally said. "Garnet, don't you like, I don't know, see any future where all of this works out or something?!" Garnet was cut off guard by this, but Pearl interrupted before she could respond. "Amethyst, you know that future vision is more complicated than that! And would you please watch your language!" Amethyst then turned to the white Gem, looking rather irritated. "Oh come on, Pearl! Does it look like a give a damn about your so sensitive about a bunch of dumb words?! I'm trying focused on how we need to protect Steven and Dipper from that piece of f-"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Garnet suddenly exclaimed. Pearl and Amethyst halted their argument and put their focus on the Gem leader. It looked like Garnet was looking much more stressed than usual. The two Gems were used to the fusion being cool and collected in most situations. However, they could clearly see that Garnet was just as frazzled and confused with what was happening. "I don't know what's going to happen, so much has changed! Ever since Ford came through the portal, so many unlike futures have appeared. This timeline is so chaotic, and every time I tried to look into Bill, it just gets worse!" The Gem leader calmed down before continuing. "I know you two are looking to me for answers, but I'm just as lost as you are. I can predict events that are in the immediate future, but I just don't know what we can do to protect the boys in the long term. I'm sorry."

Amethyst and Pearl could only look at their leader with sympathy. They could hardly blame Garnet for feeling lost and confused. For years, they had been looking to the fusion's clairvoyance for direction and guidance. Now for the first time, even Garnet was worried about the future and its uncertainty. The Gem leader herself was feeling just as awful. Ever since Rose's passing, Amethyst and Pearl have been looking to the fusion for guidance and direction. Fortunately, she was able to accomplish this thanks to her future vision. But with that acting spotty at best, the fusion felt lost. She felt ashamed that she couldn't fulfill her duty as leader.

"We're really bad at this." Amethyst blatantly stated. Garnet and Pearl looked to the purple Gem, unsure as to what she meant exactly. Pearl was the first one to question her. "Amethyst, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that we're incapable of fending off Bill?"

Amethyst balled up her fists and faced her teammates again. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes again and frustration was plastered all over her face. "I mean we're bad at protecting the kids! We're supposed to be, like guardians of Earth or something, but we can't even keep Steven safe! I'm a horrible influence on him, and without Rose, we have no idea what to do half the time! Do you know how much I hate thinking about Steven getting hurt because I'm not good enough?!" Amethyst shouted. Garnet and Pearl didn't respond to the purple Gem outburst, but both were thinking about the same thing. Steven was the last thing Rose Quartz had gifted this planet. Before she passed, the Gems had promised her leader that when she was gone, they would do everything in their power to keep her son happy and safe. Rose was confident in their promise, which was probably one of the reasons why she was so at peace so close to her passing. To fail Steven and allow him to get hurt or killed was to essentially fail Rose herself.

"And what about Dipper and Mabel?!" Amethyst continued. "Those two have only been here for a few months, but now it's hard to imagine life without them! They love us and trust us, even after we were kinda like jerks to them in the beginning of the summer! If they ever got really hurt, or even worse, I don't think I would be able to forgive myself! How the hell would be able to face Stan, to tell him that I screwed up and his family got hurt because of me?! We have to protect the twins as much as we have to protect Steven, but we're horrible at that!" The two Gems couldn't deny that Amethyst had made another good point. Despite all odds, the Gems couldn't stop the Pine twins from worming their way into their hearts. And while Garnet and Pearl weren't on the same level of comradery with Stan like Amethyst did, it would also be a difficult process to face him if they were to fail the twins.

Amethyst gave a tired sigh and decided to finish her tangent. "Steven, Mabel and Dipper are pretty much the most important things in our lives right now. They're probably the best things that have ever happened in our damn lives. Now, a sadistic demon wants to kill them for kicks, and we can't do anything about that?! We're total failures! Bill's gonna hurt Dipper, Steven and probably Mabel, and we can't do shit!" Amethyst finally stopped talking and just let the tears run down her face. While Pearl was absolutely speechless, Garnet continued to hold her stoic expression. Although internally, the fusion was having difficulties contemplating what the purple Gem had said.

Garnet had never really considered herself a surrogate mother to Steven and the Pine twins, but the thought did give her a warm feeling. With everything the kids have done and accomplished using their talents and teamwork, it would be impossible for the Gem leader not to have a sense of pride for them similar to that of a parent. Which also meant that Garnet thought that she had a personal responsibility to keep them all safe and healthy as well. It wasn't just because of Rose or Stan, she just possessed a natural instinct to protect those kids from the dangers that life can throw at them. There was no other way of putting it, Bill had approached her and taunted that he would hurt _her_ kids. And the Gem leader was determined to not let that happen.

But first, Garnet had to do her job as leader and reassure her teammates about the future. Garnet once again walked over and kneeled to Amethyst. She took off her shades, so that the purple Gem could see the sincerity in the words that the fusion was going to tell her. "Amethyst, I know you're scared, and I know you're worried about the kids. Bill is a foe that's unlike anything we've ever faced. He's unpredictable, sadistic and will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted goals. But I know that we will stop him and we will protect the kids. Rose trusted us with Steven because she knew that each of us were capable of protecting him and guiding him where she never could." Garnet was internally relieved when she saw that Amethyst face had lighten up a bit at the fusion's inspiring words.

Pearl though it was long enough to stay silent, so she decided to also kneel down the purple Gem as well. "That's right, Amethyst, and the same thing goes for Dipper and Mabel as well. We never thought that there would be anybody else in this world that would catch our eyes like Steven did, but then we got two. The twins are extraordinary and I'm so glad that we had the privilege of meeting them. And I know that Stan trusts you to look over them and make sure they stay safe." Pearl comforted Amethyst. The short Gem looked to Pearl, inwardly appreciating the words of encouragement to not only the twins' safety, but to the friendship she had with the conman as well.

Once Pearl was done speaking, Garnet continued. "My future vision may be spotty at the moment, but I still feel confident about the future. Steven and the twins have proven more than enough times that they're capable enough to protect themselves most of the time. We just have to be there if things become too hectic for them. Bill thinks that he can just threaten our family, but we are the Crystal Gems, and we don't let scum like him to what he pleases." Garnet finished off her speech by put her shades back on and giving a small smirk.

Amethyst's eyes were finally drying up as she listened to both of her comrades. They were both willing to work hard in order to protect the people they loved, and she decided to work hard as well. For the first time in a couple hours, Amethyst felt like she was in control again. Bill may have been able to shake her, but that wasn't going to stop her from doing her job. "What's the plan then?" she said with a determined nod.

Garnet stood back up and adjusted her shades. Now that the Gems were all on the same page, they could finally come up with a plan of action. "We have to be cautious," Garnet began. "We don't know when Bill is going to strike, but we do know is that he's after Stepper. So, we need to make sure that Steven and Dipper don't fuse so that they're not in that situation." While this plan was solid, Pearl couldn't help but have some concerns over it. "Garnet, a-are you sure that what you want to do? If we do something like that, it might make us no better than Hom-" Pearl was interrupted before she could finish. "I know," the Gem leader said firmly. "I know what that means, but I already had a discussion with Dipper and Steven about it. They were resilient at first, but they eventually saw that not fusing was for the greater good. I still think it would be a good idea to keep a closer eye on them."

Thinking it would be best if she got some fresh air, Amethyst got up from the couch and volunteered. "Leave it to me, G. I'll go look for the boys down and keep an eye on them." The purple Gem was about to leave through the front door before saying one last thing. "Don't worry, P. I'll be 'covert' about it. I'll keep a watch from a distance, they won't see me peeking!" And with that, the purple Gem left the Temple to complete her current mission. While the two Gems were somewhat worried about Amethyst's subtlety, they knew that she would take this seriously, given the circumstances.

Garnet then turn to Pearl to discuss the next course of action. "We also need to inform Stan and Ford about this issue. Ford has the most experience with Bill, so he'll have a better idea on what to do." Pearl nodded in agreement with the fusion's plan, knowing that the elder twins had the right to know about Dipper's impending danger. "Let me go Garnet," Pearl said. "You should just rest here and see if you can sort out any more details about the future." The Gem leader was about to protest before she was cut off. "It's okay, Garnet. I know telling them will be rather hard, but I'm with carrying this burden. Stan and Ford deserve to know about this, and they're probably the best ones that can help. I know how to deal with this situation." Garnet knew that suddenly telling the elder twins that their nephew was in grave danger, but Pearl seemed confident about telling them. "Be gentle," the fusion advised. "The last thing we want is more panic." Pearl gave a confident nod and headed out to the Mystery Shack.

Now that she was finally alone again, Garnet let out a deep sigh and took a seat on the couch. "Well, that went better than expected." she told herself. While it had been rather rough, the Gems finally figured out a rough idea of what to do. She just hoped that it was enough to put an end to Bill's schemes. The fusion looked down to her hands and saw the two gemstones that were resting in her palms. She couldn't help but be reminded of the time the demon had first confronted her and revealed his dastardly plan. But she was quick to shake away those thoughts and closed her hands. She had done everything she could for the moment and had to remain vigilant if she wanted to protect Steven and Dipper.

However, the Gem leader also knew that it was just that; she wanted to protect them, but she wasn't sure if she could.


	15. Old Faces with New Problems

Old Faces with New Problems

Sleep was a rather rare thing for Stanford Pines. Whether it was from his habit to constantly drink coffee or his tendency to always be on alert, the elder scientist was never really inclined to submit to slumber that easily. It could have also been from the traumatic experiences he had with a certain demon in the past. Nevertheless, the author seemed to only get five or six hours a night. With the constant study of Gravity Falls's anomalies and the recent efforts to deal with the Cluster, Ford hardly even thought about sleep.

Even as he was laying down on the couch in the his study room in the Mystery Shack, his mind was much more concerned with other matters rather than sleep. However, that didn't stop others from worrying about his sleeping pattern. Dipper and Mabel had constantly pestered the author to try and get more hours of much needed sleep, but he was still hesitant. While the unicorn hair around the Shack and the Temple prevented Bill from invading anybody's mind, the dream demon could still drop in with a sudden dream invasion. However, if there was one person that made him think twice about his sleep, it was Steven. There was something about the young Gem's genuine concern for the author's health got to Ford's soft spot. Perhaps it was the nostalgic feeling of Rose the boy provided that made Ford think twice.

The author shook his head and quickly cleared his mind about that thought. Like it or not, Rose was gone. She made the conscious decision to give her physical form for her son and Ford had accepted that. Instead, the elder scientist dedicated time to form a connection with not only his nibblings and Gems, but with Steven as well. As Ford got to know Steven over the past few weeks, he discovered how special the young Gem was. Steven gave Ford the sense of belonging and the confidence of his study of weirdness that his mother had gave him all those years ago. Ford couldn't say that Steven's admiration for him was any better or worse than his comradery with Rose, but he could definitely say it was unique.

Regardless, Ford decided to try and get some sleep early tonight at the young Gem's request. As time went on, the author began to feel the effect of his earlier fatigue. His eyelids became heavier and he let out a long yawn. It would appear that the kids were right when he was in desperate need of sleep. There still was the vigilance for the dream demon in the back of his mind. However, that wasn't enough to stop the enclosing slumber. The author gave one final yawn before he started getting the sleep he so desperately needed.

Only instead of much needed sleep, Ford would receive a visit from his dreaded past.

* * *

When Ford opened his eyes, he was standing on his feet rather than laying down on his couch. The elder scientist scanned his surroundings to find that he was in fact not in the room he fell asleep in. Instead, he was standing in the basement of the shack, with one glaring inconsistency. The portal that he had so ignorantly built thirty years was standing before him, humming with power and energy. The inverted triangle with the five gemstones around its border was in pristine condition and the gateway in its middle was illuminating a bright blue light. This perplexed the author at first for many reasons. For one, the portal was completely wrecked when he emerged from it weeks ago. Even after that, Ford had made sure to completely dismantle the device from the basement, leaving behind only the Rift to be dealt with.

However, as Ford continued to evaluate his current situation, it quickly dawned on him what was happening. His sudden shift in location and the existence of the fully operational portal started to make sense now. To confirm his suspicions even further, the author began to hear a distinct laugh coming from the other side of the portal. A laugh that he was far too familiar with and had brought him much dread over the years. Ford was now certain what had happened now.

"Damn." he quietly cursed to himself. "Enough with these dramatics already! Show yourself, Bill!" Ford exclaimed. The author put on a rigid stance and gave a stoic expression. He was adamant in not showing that the demon would get to him.

No sooner than the elder scientist called him out, Bill Cipher finally decided to reveal himself. The dream demon appeared to enter the room through the portal, giving off a brief flash of light. When Ford unshielded his eyes, he was face to face again with his former muse. The demon was still contently laughing to himself, only to stop as he looked at to Ford. " _Well well well, here we are again! How's it going, Sixer? You look exactly how you were the last time I decided to give you a visit, that being below average! Ha ha!_ " Ford wasted no time in verbally retaliating against the demon's mockery. "And what do I owe the pleasure of having you invade my dreams? If you've come here for at an attempt at possession, I think you'll be very disappointed."

The dream demon responded with another hearty laugh. " _Oh, you talking about that girly unicorn barrier you put around the Shack and the Temple? Yeah, that is a bit of an annoyance, but that won't stop me forever! Anyway, that's not actually why I decided to visit you again, Sixer! I just wanted to give you some friendly advice!_ " The author lowered his guard a bit, but continued to put on a stern expression. "What are you talking about?" he said, highly skeptical that any of the demon's advice would be at all practical.

" _Oh, you know, just wanted to give up a heads up and tell you_ _ **HOW MUCH OF AN IDIOT YOU ARE!**_ **"** the triangle yelled as he transitioned to a dark red; a clear indicator of the demon's fury. He eventually reverted back to his yellow color and continued. " _Here I thought you actually had some sense in you, and you go ahead and do something idiotic! The Rift is the only this that's stopping me from making this world my toybox, so I thought you would actually try and protect it! But you end up doing the exact opposite!_ " Once again, Ford was confused as he distinctively remembered taking extra precautions to keep the Rift safe from the sadistic triangle. "You know, for someone who claims to have ever-present omnipotence, you're pretty clueless Bill." The author said, much to the demon's annoyance. "I entrusted the Rift to people who I know will keep it safe from the likes of you! And I know for a fact that-"

" _That what, Pine Tree and Rose Bud will do everything to keep it safe from me?!_ " the demon interrupted. This was enough to immediately silenced Ford, but he wasn't for long. "If…you…even dare harm them…" he quietly threated the demon. Deep down, Ford knew that there was a risk with entrusting the Rift to the two boys, however they were both confident with the responsibility when he entrusted it to them. Bill, however, did not seem intimidated by the elder scientist's threats. " _Oh relax, Sixer, I had it out for those two waaaay before you decided to show up again. Pine Tree and Rose Bud have constantly gotten in my way and I'm sick of it! Those two are better in the ground than up here breathing! Getting the Rift from them is just a little bonus. But why do you care what happens to them, Sixer? It's not like you seem to care whether they live or not!_ " The author felt rightfully insulted by this claim. Where the hell did this cretin come from to infer that he didn't care about the kids that he had grown so fond of? Before the elder scientist could counter however, the demon continued his thought.

" _Don't even start, Sixer! I know you're gonna say that you care about Pine Tree and you'll do anything to protect him from me, yada yada yada! But think about this: Do you really think Pine Tree's gonna last long hanging around you all the time?! Let's face it Sixer, you're a total danger magnet! Getting chased around by monsters, demons and other assorted scoundrels! You really think that a twelve-year-old will last long in your shoes?! He'll be dead way before a get my hands on him!_ " One of the many things Ford hated about Bill was the moments where he actually had a point. The author couldn't deny that his hunt for anomalies had made his lifestyle rather dangerous. Stanley had even pointed out that the elder scientist did pose a potential threat to the kids. However, when Dipper became interested in Ford's field of study and want to shadow him, Ford just couldn't push the inquisitive boy away. He wasn't exactly sure himself, but the author hypothesized that having Dipper around made him feel appreciation that he hadn't received from his family for a long time. He also couldn't help but be reminded of a younger version of himself whenever he saw Dipper's fascination with the abnormal.

"I understand that he's in constant danger whenever he's with me," the author admitted. "But I also know how resourceful he can be in times of distress. Dipper told me about the time you possessed him and mutilated his body, and I swear you will pay dearly for that one day! He also told me how he was able to defeat you with the help of his sister and his friends. As long as Mabel and Steven are by his side, I don't have to worry about him getting hurt!" Ford genuinely believed in what he told the demon, and was not going to back down from it. Unfortunately, Bill was rather quick to throw the words back into his face. " _Yeah, you may have a point there. Pine Tree and Shooting Star do make for an annoying combination for sure. But I guess that means I'll have fun with Shooting Star once I'm done with Pine Tree. I already gave her a nice visit and I think she get the memo, all she needed was a little controlled shock to get it through her head. And once I take care of those two, who do you think your brother is going to blame?!_ "

Bill had once again blown a hole in Ford's resolve. To put it simply, Ford wasn't the type a person to consider the worst-case scenario when making huge decisions. In the past, the author believed such thoughts were rather pointless to even consider. He was always confident that his skills and quick-wit would prevail at the end, so he often never really thought about any negative consequences. However, if the fiasco with the portal was any proof, this optimistic view of his skills didn't always end in success. When things did go wrong, Ford would have to often improvise to escape any sticky situation he got himself into. Even with that, the elder scientist had a difficult time imagining what would happen if he experienced failure, and this time was no different. The author's mind always seemed to censor out any thought of facing Stan and the rest of his family with the death of the twins by his actions.

So instead, Ford decided to quickly change the subject in order to maintain his mental stability. "Well what about Steven? What makes you think I wouldn't care for Rose's son?!" Ford questioned the dream demon. " _Well Sixer, if I were you, I would just cut off any ties you had with Quartzy, her son included. She's caused way too much trouble for you and way too much of annoyance to me. She was completely drenched in deceit and hypocrisy and you know it! Let's be honest here, Quartzy was a total chump! She may have been even worse than me!_ " the triangle continued to mock the deceased Gem. The elder scientist rage was beginning to return to him. He was not going to let the demon get away with muddling his old companion's good name.

"Now you listen here," he warned. "Rose Quartz was FIVES TIMES the being that you could ever hope to be! She may have not been perfect, she may have not made the best decisions in her life, but that didn't stop her from sacrificing everything for her comrades and this planet. She was a saint and I count myself extremely lucky that I had the chance to know her! She may be gone now, but I still that love she so selflessly gave in the form of her son. So, if you want anything to do with Steven, you have to deal with me first! You got that?!" Ford was adamant in protecting Steven from this sadistic monster. He felt it was his obligation to protect the young Gem as a way to finally repay for the coldness and scorn he had so idiotically gave Rose all those years ago. Steven was a gem, both in the physical and metaphorical sense. And Ford would do anything to make sure Bill didn't get his claws on him.

The dream demon immediately started laughing again. " _Honestly Sixer, are you really that blind?! Did you forget that as soon as your started becoming paranoid about your theories and portal she just left you? That's kind of what she's all about. Quartzy claimed that she would always be there to protect those she loved, but when things got dodgy, she bailed out! She only stuck around when she got to be happy and escape all the problems she started with her little rebellion! I wouldn't be surprised if that the only reason she decided to have Rose Bud in the first place was to just give all of those problems to someone else! The kid was basically a 'Get out of jail free' card to her!_ " Bill couldn't help but look with glee at the look of disgusted disbelief that the elder scientist had on. " _And this has been happening way before you or Rock Star showed up! Quartzy has been with dozens, maybe even hundreds of humans looking for 'friendship' and 'understanding', but I think we're both smart enough to know that she was just looking for a brief period of escape. As soon as she was bored with one human, she would just run off into the arms of another human again. Simply put, she was nothing more than just a dumb, care-free w-_ "

"DON'T…YOU…DARE!" Ford screamed at the dream demon in an uncontrolled rage. The author was not going to let the demon infer what he was about to towards one of the closest friends he had ever made. "If you even finish that thought, I will make it my life's work to make you suffer!" Bill was slightly taken aback by the elder scientist's sudden rage, but ended up giving a small chuckle. " _Heh, you sure you never had a crush on Quartzy, Sixer? Must be a shame then that you blew you chance with her and lost her to some other chump!_ " Ford was completely confident in his platonic relationship that he held with Rose, but he was not going to entertain the thought to the demon anymore. Ford knew that Bill was just trying to toy with him just to distract him from the demon's grand plan for Dipper and Steven.

"Enough of this Bill! Quit it with these distractions! What are you planning?!" the author accused the demon. The demon then turned around and folded his arms behind his back. While Bill was staring into the portal, he revealed his grand plan. " _Oh you know, mayhem, destruction, completely breaking Pine Tree and Rose Bud on a physical and emotional level…the usual stuff! However, I think those two deserve something really special! I don't quite know why, but something about those two just makes…me…_ _ **angry**_ _._ " Bill's tone turned cold and laced with malice at those last words, which made Ford's skin crawl. In all the years he had the displeasure of knowing the triangle, Ford had never heard him so serious and angry all at once, not even towards him.

" _So, I bet you're really curious about what I plan to do with them. Well, why don't I give you a sneak peek with my crystal ball!_ " Bill moved to the side so that Ford could see the middle of the portal. While the light made it difficult to see at first, the author was able to make out something that was in the portal. However, it certainly wasn't something the elder scientist could recognized. It appeared to be a symbol of some sort, an amalgamation of a triangle and circle-like shape. There was a noticeable swirl pattern in the middle, and it seem to have pointed top as well. Ford stared at the strange symbol for a few minutes, but still could figure out what it represented. All he could tell was it was a fusion of two other symbols.

And that's when the authors blooded started to run cold.

"Nooo…" Ford could only mutter. He finally recognized that the symbol was a combination of a pine tree and the insignia of Rose Quartz. The author knew that this wasn't supposed to be something metaphorical. This twisted, asymmetric combination of a pine tree and a rose was the literal plan Bill had for Steven and Dipper. "S-Stepper," he said. "You're going to…you can't do that!" Ford had only recently met the fusion of his nephew and the young Gem. Not only was he fascinated by the ability of a human and Gem fusing, he was rather fond of the fusion's awkward behavior excitement to finally meet him. However, now he was fearing for the fusion's life.

The dream demon faced the author again, satisfied that he was able to figure it out. " _Oh, I can totally do that, Sixer! All it takes is a little coaxing and those two will REALLY get to know what it's like to be stuck together! But that's not all! You think I'm just gonna straight up kill Pine Bud like that?! No way, there are way too many possibilities here! Pine Tree and Rose Bud are gonna experience something together only a Gem could feel! And I'm going to SAVOR it!_ " Ford didn't understand what the dream demon was referring to, for he was still stunned by what he had been told. In all these years, Ford had never heard something so demented coming from his mouth. He also failed to notice the light from the portal getting brighter and slowly consuming the room.

" _Well, it's been fun Sixer,_ " Bill said. " _But I really need to get going now! No rest for the weary and all that! Don't bother trying to save those twerps, cause when I want something, I GET IT! Change is coming Stanford Pines, and it's gonna be one hell of a show!_ " Bill capped off by giving a maniacal laugh. As he was laughing, Bill began to disappear in the ever-growing light from the portal. Ford had to shield his eyes from the encroaching light, unable to stop himself from being engulfed as well.

* * *

Ford woke up with a cold sweat and panting heavily. He was no longer in the basement and was back in his room. The author scanned the room to make sure he was in fact back in the waking world and that there was no sign of the dream demon. When it was clear he was out of danger, Ford could only give a tired sigh of relief. This was the second time Bill had invaded his dream, but this time it was just to taunt him. He was threatening the safety of Steven and Dipper, and the elder scientist could tell that the demon wasn't bluffing. Ford knew that Bill was planning to involve Stepper in his schemes, but there was something else that the demon said that still puzzled him.

"Something only a Gem could experience," he repeated the words that the triangle said. "It's can't be fusion, so what the hell else is that sadistic bastard planning to do to the-" the author stopped cold as he realized what Bill had probably meant. Something that possibly cripple the boys for the rest of their lives.

"I have to warn the Gems!"


	16. Blood Stained Thorns Still Sting

Blood Stained Thorns Still Sting

A sequel to Drama and Discourse and Old Faces with New Problems

The walk to the Shack was an unusually difficult one for Pearl. She had made the trip hundreds of time before, but this time was different. Instead of going to see the twins' excited faces or confronting Stan over a petty nitpick she had with him, she was delivering a rather dreaded message. Garnet had instructed her to go down to the Shack and discuss with Ford on how to deal with Bill. The author was the only one with the most experience with the demon, so the White Gem secretly hoped that he would have some idea of how to protect Steven and Dipper from Bill.

Pearl gave a tired sigh as her thoughts wandered back to the two boys. Amethyst's earlier outburst was still echoing in her mind as well. No matter how hard Pearl tried to convince herself otherwise, she couldn't deny that the purple Gem was right, they were terrible at keeping the kids safe. Throughout the summer, the Gems had done a satisfactory enough job of protecting them from physical dangers. However, Bill endangered the kids with a mental and emotional threat, a threat that they were powerless to stop. And it was that very powerlessness that made the white Gem's inside feel so twisted and sick. Steven was Rose's son and almost felt like her own son as well. Dipper was one of Pearl's best proteges, and she couldn't be prouder of how far he's come. To see them both in such grave danger and being able to do anything about it just made her feel like a complete failure.

Pearl relaxed her fists as she slowly approached the front of the Shack. Pearl couldn't dwell on what she couldn't do to protect the boys, she had to think about what she could do to protect them. She made a promise to herself that she would do anything to protect the one thing Rose had left to the planet she had sacrificed so much to save. She made her way to the front door, ready to knock so that she could finally speak to Ford about this matter. It was now or never.

However, before the white Gem could knock on the door, it abruptly opened, causing her to step back a bit. Pearl was then surprised when she saw Ford standing at the door. Pearl carefully looked to see that the elder scientist was unusually disheveled and appear to have a few bags under his eyes. "S-Stanford," Pearl said. "I was just looking for you. Why do you look so-" she was then interrupted before she could finish her question.

"Pearl! Thank Tesla's coil that you're here, I've been meaning to come see you!" The author then looked around to make sure that the two of them were alone. Thankfully, Stanley was out in town, so the this was the best opportunity to meet with the Gem. Ford then grabbed Pearl by the arm and pulled her into the shack. "We can't risk being overheard," he explained. "There's something that I MUST discuss with you!" While Pearl certainly didn't appreciate being dragged by the author, she still couldn't help but wonder what was so important that would rile him up so much. She decided to just go along with this and hear him out. Then she would finally be able to tell the elder scientist the terrible news.

* * *

Ford had taken Pearl to his study, where he believed that they would be save from unexpected eavesdroppers. As soon as Pearl entered into the darkened room, something had immediately caught her attention. Scattered across the room, from the desks to the floors, were documents and manuscripts that seem to information on Bill Cipher. Paper littered the floor and books were stacked high on the desks.

"Stanford, what is going on here?! Why do you have all of these documents concerning…that cretin of all things?" she asked, rather struggling to even mention the dream demon's name. Ford made his way across the room and leaned heavily on his desk and lowered his head. The author took a deep sigh and finally revealed his purpose for bringing the Gem here. "Listen to me very closely Pearl, I have strong reason to believe that both Dipper and Steven are in grave danger." Ford plainly said. For a moment, Pearl couldn't say anything out of complete awe at what she was hearing. Ford was telling her the exact same thing that she was going to tell him. Her mind was racing on how on Earth Ford could have acquire such information. There was only one possible way, and it made Pearl sick to her stomach.

"Bill threatened them, didn't he?" Pearl grimly said. Now Ford was the one who was caught by surprise. Was it possible that he wasn't the only one that Bill decided to reveal his plan for the boys. "Don't tell me," he said. "that psychotic triangle came to you and taunted you about how he plans to torture Dipper and Steven using fusion?" Pearl was silent for a moment, but then confirmed the elder scientist's fears. "Yes, Bill gave all of us a visit. He was rather vague, but he was clear enough for us to be terrified at what he could possibly do to Stepper." Both went silent again, rather unsure on how to proceed. Both of them were prepared to give such terrible new, but they weren't ready for this information to become common. Was Bill really that confident in his plan that he would just tell anyone about it? Pearl and Ford both found this thought concerning, and both were determined to find a way to protect the boys from the demon's sadism.

"Have you found anyway to stop him?" Pearl said, getting right to business. Ford turned back to his desk and began flipping through a book. "Not as of yet," he said with disappointment. "But I'll keep looking for any permanent solution to stop him. We still have the barrier up for the shack and Temple, but I highly believe that Bill will find a way around that. Therefore, we need to find a temporary solution." Pearl gave a firm nod at the author's plan of action. "Agreed," she said. "So…you wouldn't happen have any idea as to what that temporary solution would be?" While Pearl was determined to protect the boys from Bill, she was still at a loss as to how to properly do so.

Ford then gave a tired sigh as he was about to propose a solution that was less than ideal. "I realize that this might be easier said than done, but I believe it would be best if Steven and Dipper spend some time apart from each other. I know that their comradery is highly important to them, but as long as they're together, they risk fusing and falling into Bill's trap." Ford honestly didn't want to tear the boys apart, but he had no choice. When he first met Stepper, he was absolutely fascinated with how the young Gem and the inquisitive boy performed something that he thought was exclusive to Gemkind. The last thing he would want to do is to take that away from the boys, but if it meant doing so meant for their safety, then he had no choice but to do so.

While Pearl full-heartily agreed with this plan, she couldn't help but voice a few of her concerns. "Stanford, that is a sound plan, but do you really think it'll be that easy? Those two have basically become brothers by this point, therefore I hardly doubt that they would take the idea of being forced away from each other very lightly." She also couldn't help but feel bad about separating the two boys on the inside as well. Throughout the many events and revelations throughout the summer, Pearl was inwardly glad that Steven could go to Dipper, Mabel and Connie for emotional support and comfort. While she wouldn't hesitate to provide that for the young Gem herself, the Gems were rather new at human interaction, so Pearl was worried that she would only make things worse for him. There was also something else other than the force separation of the boys that Pearl didn't particularly like. "Also Stanford, you do realize what you're saying when you say we should forbid the boys from fusing, right? I understand that you're just a human, but you have to understand that fusion is a very delicate topic. You can't just go and tell them-"

"I KNOW what that implies, Pearl," Ford firmly interrupted. "Rose was very detailed on how important fusion is to you and the rest of the Gems! And I know that this is a rather cruel to deny the boys that privilege, but it's for their safety! I know you're smart enough to know that!" Ford had to be a bit firmer now so that Pearl would understand. The elder scientist was genuine in saying that he didn't want to do this, but what choice did they have? Ford could tell how serious Bill was when he invaded his dreams. He knew that the demon wouldn't hesitate from tormenting the boys to near death, only to finally finish the job. The author found it his duty to protect Dipper and Steven from Bill, even if it meant that they would be upset with him because of that.

Deciding that this topic was tense enough, Ford decided to change the subject. "So, other than mentioning Dipper and Steven, did say anything else to you?" he asked in a much gentler fashion. Pearl also decided it was best to move on, so she decided to answer the elder scientist's question. "Not much. He did make some rather…crude remarks towards Rose. Obviously, he said those things to try and…get to me." The white Gem was still bitter at the demented triangle for muddying Rose's good name. She had spent too much time with the pink Gem to not defend her honor, even after she had passed. Ford responded with a sigh and shook his head. "He mentioned similar things to me as well. It seems that Bill likes to poke at that pressure point a lot."

Pearl suddenly slammed her fist down on a nearby desk. She had just about had it with the dream demon attacking Rose like this. "What is wrong with that triangular sadist?!" she exclaimed. "Rose was a saint that never hurt anyone! All she wanted was the best for this planet and Bill is just…mocking her for it! It's appalling and unorthodox, right?!" Pearl had expected Ford to instantly agree with her, but instead the author remained silent. "Stanford?" Pearl asked again. The elder scientist looked to the ground, refusing to look at the white Gem and remained silent. Pearl didn't like this one bit, and then jumped to a rather grim conclusion. "Stanford," Pearl said unbelievably. "You can't be serious in thinking that Bill was actually correct in say that Rose-"

"There are many, MANY things I hate about Bill, Pearl," Ford interrupted. "One of the things that I hate most about him is when he has a point." Pearl just looked at the author with complete shock and awe. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. "Stanford, what are you saying right now?! Rose thought so highly of you, and now you're saying this?!" Ford finally stopped looking at the ground and looked at Pearl dead in the eyes. "Rose was one of my best companions and I will always cherish the time I spent with her and the rest of you! But Pearl, open up your eyes! The only reason Bill is going after Steven because of what Rose did! Bill is a very petty being, and he's going to hurt Steven from what his mother did to him in the past! Do you see what I'm getting at here?! The author practically begged the Gem. Pearl's eyes darken and tighten her fists at her sides. "No Stanford, I _don't_ know what you're getting at." She said venomously. Ford then started to approach the white Gem. "ROSE WAS SELFISH!" the author exclaimed. "Everything that she did was for her own benefit! She didn't think about you when she took your memories, she didn't think about her friends when she started a war, she didn't think about me when I was suffering all those years ago, and I'm starting to wonder if she didn't think about Greg when she had Steven! And now, we're all suffering because of her mistakes! If you really think about it, did Rose really give up anything for others?!"

Ford didn't have enough time to react when Pearl suddenly punched the elder scientist to the ground. The author caressed his stinging cheek as he looked up to the Gem. He had never seen Pearl this livid in his time he had known her. "ROSE GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR US!" the white Gem shouted at the top of her lungs. "You have no idea how much Rose sacrificed to get as far as she got! You have no right to say those things about Rose and you have no right to judge her actions! Rose was far from perfect and she made her fair share of mistakes, but she does not deserve the slander that you and Bill are throwing at her! The point is that I respect Rose too much to continue to let you think of her like that! Rose has spent her entire existence to sacrifice! Ever since she-" Pearl cut herself short when her arm inexplicably shot up to cover her mouth. Hot tears were staining her cheeks as she finally realized what she had just done. Here she was, trying to find help from a trusted friend, only to punch him down in his own home. For once in her life, she was actually glad that this curse stopped her from saying something she would later regret.

"Stanford, I'm so sorry! I didn't know what I was thinking! I never meant to…hurt you like that." Pearl apologized as she extended her hand to help up the elder scientist. Ford hesitated for a bit, but he eventually accepted the white Gem's hand to help him up. "it's fine," he said quietly. "Rose meant so much more to you than me. I didn't mean to insult her like that." Ford honestly did feel bad about what he had just said about the pink Gem. Despite all of her shortcomings, Rose had truly been a good friend towards the author all those years ago. She was one of the first ones to show actual interest in his studies and ambitions.

The two stood in awkward silence, unsure how to continue after that outburst. Fortunately, Pearl was the first one to break the silence. "So, how about I look after the kids and make sure they…spend some time apart for a while, and you continue looking for a long-term solution to Bill. Okay?" The elder scientist was still quiet for a moment, but he finally responded. "Okay, that sounds like a good plan. I'll make sure to talk to Dipper tonight without…bring up Bill." Pearl gave a solid nod. "Alright then. I'll just take my leave then." The white Gem began to take her leave, still feeling rather guilty about her outburst. However, before she left the room, she asked the author one more question. "Ford, did Bill say anything else that would hint at what Bill would do to the boys?"

Ford was silent for a moment, as he was in deep thought. In truth, Ford did conclude that Bill was going to do something terrible to Stepper. It was only a theory, but it was a solid theory none the less. Ford was more than ready to tell the Gems immediately about his theory, however a thought did come to him. If Ford were to reveal this revelation to the Gems, they would be in an absolute panic. There would be no way Gems would be able to focus on anything and would be in complete terror at all times of the day. Therefore, the elder scientist decides to keep his theory quiet, in hopes that the Gems would have full attention in dealing with the situation at hand. "No," the author said. "Bill didn't go into any more detail about what he was going to do to them." It was a blatant lie, but it was a lie that Pearl seem to have to believed. "Alright, take care then, Stanford." As Pearl walked out of the room, Ford returned to his studies on the dream demon. Guilt was still plaguing him about not telling Pearl Bill's full plan, but he knew that the Gem's needed to be on full alert if they wanted to truly stop the dream demon from taking away what they all held most dear.

Meanwhile, Pearl was just outside of the shack, looking down at the palms of her hands. Hot tears were flowing off her face as she almost revealed her darkest secret out of anger. Could she really protect Rose's son and her protégé when she was in this condition?

Time would only tell if Pearl would be able to continue to keep her eternal promise to Rose.


	17. Self-Confidence is Key

Self Confidence is Key

A sequel to Drama and Discourse

Amethyst paid no mind to any passersby as she made her way into town. She still was exactly fond of the looks she was getting, but it was rather hard to remain inconspicuous in her downtrodden state. Right now, the purple Gem was just wandering throughout town, even though that she was technically still on a mission. After their recent conversation, Garnet had instructed her to track down Dipper and Steven and just keep an eye on them. While at first Amethyst was invigorated in her assigned task thanks to Garnet's inspiring words, she slowly began to see the holes that were in this plan. For starters, Amethyst didn't even know where the boys were, so it would take a considerable amount of time to track them down. Secondly, she had no idea how long she would have to keep an eye on the boys, though she especially didn't want to watch them 24/7. Finally, Amethyst wouldn't even know what to do if Bill even attacked them, other than blindly attacking him, which could cause more harm than good.

With all of these factors swirling around in her head, Amethyst was left to just wander around town in hopes that she would spot Dipper and Steven. Of course, this consequentially left her alone with her thoughts, which was less than ideal. The more time she was alone, she thought more and more about the dream invasion that Bill had made in her mind. Amethyst tried her best to constantly remind herself that the visions of Pearl, Stan and Rose were just mere illusions made by dream demon. But she couldn't help to remember the deep cutting words that those illusions told her. Pearl's hatred towards Steven, Stan's criticism of their friendship and Rose's evaluation of her uselessness was still echoing in her head. No matter how much she tried to ignore those words, she couldn't deny the truth that held within them. Garnet had told her to just ignore the constant lies that the dream demon had spurred out, but she wasn't as strong as her.

So, Amethyst finally decided to just shut herself out from the world as she looked for the boys. The last thing she wanted to do was have anyone notice that something was getting to her. She may have been weak, but her pride was still solid as a rock. Nothing was going to shake her as long as she kept to herself. Unfortunately, this plan completely backfired when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Amethyst?" The purple Gem turned out and inwardly cringed as she saw Stan walking towards her. Memories of her nightmare came flooding in again as she was reminded of the venous words Stan had told her. She was in too much of a depressed state to even face the real Stan, but by the time she considered bolting Stan was already in front of her. "Hey kid! What are you up to walking around town this afternoon? Looking to get into some trouble?" he said jokingly. In all honestly, Stan was probably the best person Amethyst could talk to right now. It certainly wouldn't the first time she had gone to the conman to vent about events that were getting to her. However, this situation was very different from the mild annoyances that she often talked to Stan about. It wasn't like she could causally tell the conman that his nephew was in grave danger from a psychotic dream demon that was hell-bent on torturing Dipper and Steven. The purple Gem also didn't want to discuss her dream, considering it would probably be seen as a sign of weakness for her. "What? No, I'm just….I don't know, what are you doing here, Stan?" she said, hoping to deflect the conversation to something else.

Stan was caught off-guard from Amethyst unusual behavior, but decided to answer her anyway. "Oh uh…Sixer wanted me to pick up some stuff in town for one of his nerd projects he's cooking up. I was about to go do that, but I decided to just pop in the diner for some quick eats. Can't pick nerd stuff on an empty stomach!" While she was listening, the conman could tell that the purple Gem's mind was somewhere else. He could also tell that she was feeling rather depressed as well. Stan had interacted with enough people in his days to know how to read people's emotions with relative ease. The only question he had was why was the Gem acting like this in the first place. Ever since that incident with the election, things were smoothed over between her and the conman. They were able to rekindle that long lasting friendship they had and have been on good terms ever since. "Um kid, are you doing okay? You look like me whenever I come back from the races! You know, minus the panting and the various cuts and bruises." The conman said in hopes of getting the purple Gem to talk.

Amethyst was starting to lose it now. She just couldn't take Stan just casually talking to her like there was nothing at stake. But she also found it way too difficult her to tell him the reality of the situation. So instead, she planned to take the path that that she was most best at: bail out.

Before the conman knew it, Amethyst immediately bolted away from him in the opposite direction. "Hey, HEY! Kid, where you going?!" yelled out in confusion. Amethyst paid him no mind as she continued to run away from the conman and around the corner. Stan only hesitated for a second before letting out a disgruntled groan and began to chase after her. Stan had known Amethyst for years now, and he had never seen the Gem just take off in the other direction during mid-conversation. If she didn't want to talk about something, she would usually just redirect the conversation to another subject and that would be that. Clearly something was wrong with the purple Gem, and Stan was going to find out what it was.

The only thing that was going through Amethyst head right now was running. Running away from Stan so that she wouldn't have to think about the dream she had. Just looking at Stan reminded her of the awful words Stan had said to her in her dreams. Then, she was reminded of what Pearl and Rose had said to her, which threated to have Amethyst have a psychotic breakdown. Therefore, it made sense that Amethyst decided to get as far away from the conman as possible to ease the pain of the memories. If she just got far enough, she could just find a hole to jump into and maybe just wait there for a day or two for all of this to blow over. Unfortunately, this plan quickly came apart as she realized she had reached a dead end in a back alley. She was so focused on the bad train of thought in her head that she didn't even realize where she was running to. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she insulted to herself. She quickly turned around to leave the alley before stopping still at what she saw. She saw Stan blocking the exit, clearly out of breath from chasing after her.

"Alright kid," Stan panted out. "My old man body is NOT cut out for chasing you all around town. So, do you wanna why you decided to take off like a bat out of hell!" Amethyst shuddered for a bit, but then quickly faced away from him. However, Stan shouted to the Gem. "Don't even think about using some shapeshifting shenanigans to get yourself out of this, because I'll just hunt you down later on! Now, what the hell is going on with you, and why are you acting like this?!" While the conman would never admit it to anyone out loud, he was often concerned with Amethyst. He knew that the Gem was thousands of years old, but he still knew that the Gem was more fragile when compared to her compatriots.

Amethyst began backing away slowly as the conman approached her. She was practically shaking as Stan got closer and closer to her. "Just leave me alone, Stan! There's nothing to talk about, okay?! I just don't feel like talking!" Amethyst shouted. Stan just pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance, obviously not believe the purple Gem's blatant lie. "I'm getting really tired of this, kid. So just knock this shit of and telling me what the hell is wrong with you!" Amethyst was starting to hyperventilate at this point. She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't listen to how her whole friendship with Stan was a complete lie. She couldn't face the unavoidable truth of how much of a failure she was. She just couldn't do it, she wasn't strong enough. "Stan please," she begged him. "I don't want to do this! Just go away, and stop calling me a failure! I get it, I'm just a worthless, piece of sh-"

"AMETHYST!" Stan shout as he put his hand on the Gem's shoulder. Amethyst was scared to look up at the conman at first, but eventually mustered up the courage to gaze upon Stan's face. She expected to see the cold, uncaring face that she remembered from her dream, but she was shocked at what she saw instead. Stan's face was still firm as usual, but she was about to see the absolute worry he had in his eyes. This wasn't a face of judgement and scorn, but a face of worry and concern. Amethyst didn't know what to say, but Stan said something first. "Listen to me kid, you know me. Anything that's on your mind, I'm here to listen. I won't judge you until I hear what you have to say, so don't worry." Stan then kneeled down so that he was at her eye level. "Now, just tell me what's going on with you. Please." Amethyst did her best to maintain her composure, but after here the sincere words that the conman told her, she couldn't stop herself from suddenly embracing him.

The purple Gem also couldn't stop herself from let out a sob of relief. After spending so much time being afraid and worrying about the future, it felt nice to actually let it all out instead of bottling it up unhealthily. While Stan was surprised by this sudden outburst of emotion, he didn't refuse the embrace he received and continued to comfort the Gem. "S-Stan," Amethyst said in between sobs. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to act like a jerk. It's just…it's just I'm so scared right now! I don't know what to do with Steven, or Dipper, or Bill! Why do I have to be so useless and-"

"Woah woah woah, slow down, kid!" Stan said, trying to get a hold of the situation. "What's going on with the kids? And who's this Bill guy you're talking about?" Amethyst internally cringed at this question. Throughout her own internal turmoil, she hadn't even thought about how she would even begin to break the news about the dream demon to Stan. She was hoping that Garnet or Pearl would tell Stan since they were probably better at something like this. But now Amethyst realized that she had to come clean to Stan. The conman had gone this far for her, so it was only fair that she would meet him halfway. "Stan," she said nervously. "Do you anything about some dream demon named Bill Cipher?"

At first, the conman was confused with the Gem, having no idea about who she was talking about. But the more he thought about it, the name actually did sound familiar. Throughout his extensive research of the journals, Stan did come across a character that shared the name the purple Gem had mentioned. While the subtext was rather disconcerting, Stan largely ignored it, along with other anomalies in the journal to focus more on rebuilding the portal to save Ford. "you know, now that you mention it, I think I do remember that guy from when I look looking through the journal to save Sixer. What he like, a triangle with one eye, or something like that?" Amethyst was inwardly surprised at the conman's apparent knowledge of the dream demon, but she put that in the back of her head for now. "Yeah," she said. "Something like that. Anyway, he came to me in a dream last night and pretended to be Pearl, Rose, and…you. He said some stuff that…really cut me deep. Stuff like how worthless I am and…that our friendship was just a sham."

For a while, Stan had a somewhat difficult time contain his anger towards the demon, despite never ever meeting him. However, he noticed that the purple Gem didn't seem finished, so he saved that thought for later. "Go on." He said cautiously. Amethyst gave another long sigh before continuing with the most dreaded part of the story. "Bill didn't just pay me a visit, he also went to Garnet and Pearl as well. From what we could all gather together, Bill has a plan. He's going to really hurt Steven and Dipper…maybe even…kill them. We came up with some sort of temporary plan, but I really don't know what to do here! I'm always used to just punching my problems away, but I can't do that here. Bill just…. gets to me like no one ever has! What the hell I am I supposed to do about that?!" When Amethyst finally finished her monologue, she didn't feel as relieved as she thought she would. She decided to leave the part about fusion to not cause Stan to worry more, but it may have also been because she was still too scared. She didn't know what Stan would say after all of this, but it was too late to take it back.

The conman was quiet for a moment, taking in all of the information he just received. His biggest concern was the potential danger that the boys were apparently in. Dipper was one of Stan's remaining family, so he was sure as hell wasn't going to let some demon bring harm to him. He almost loss his family before, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. Stan was also highly concern with Steven's safety as well. While him and Rose didn't have the best relationship back when she was around, but her son was someone entirely different. Someone who was kind, appreciative and sometimes put more of the world's weight on his shoulders than he had to. However, Stan thought it best to put aside the boys for now and focus on Amethyst. The purple Gem would be in no condition to help them in the state she was in. Stan needed to be careful with talking with her at this moment. He had to be gentle, but he had to be firm as well. It would be difficult, but Stan was willing to go the distance for his long-time friend.

"Okay kid," the conman began. "I know that kids are in danger right now, but right now, you have to snap out of this junk. Whatever this Bill guy told you, he was dead wrong! I've seen you do some incredible things that I could never do in my glory days, and I'm not talking that shapeshifting stuff you love doing. Don't worry about what Bill, Pearl or even what I think about you. The only one who you need to listen to is yourself. For most of my life, I was always comparing myself to my twin brother and look where that got me. The point is you need to boost that self-confidence of yours if you're gonna make it in this world. Be that ass-kicking Gem warrior that you always brag that you are! Got it?" Stan finished off his pep-talk by giving her a confident smirk.

Tears were starting to well up in the purple Gem's eyes at the conman's words. However, instead of tears of sadness, these were tears of joy. For the first time, Amethyst felt like she could make a difference in this terrible situation. Stan had assured her that as long as she thought she was worth it, then she would be. However, in order to try and retain her tough demeanor, she quickly wiped away the tears moved back to the boys. "Aren't you still a little bit worried at what might happen to Dipper and Steven?" While Stan still had some concern over them, he continued to hold on to his smirk. "Well yeah," he said. "But I know that you, Garnet and Pearl will do everything to keep those ankle-bitters safe from whatever demonic shapes get thrown at them! That sound good, kid?"

Amethyst couldn't help but begin to laugh and playfully shove the conman away from her. "You know I'm like thousands of years older than you, right old man?" Stan then replied with a good-natured retort. "Heh, well you could've fooled me you all that trash you eat!" Both friends began to laugh as Amethyst's worries slowly began to melt away. It felt good to laugh like this again, and she felt like she was ready to complete her original mission that she had set out upon. "Stan, I gotta get going and find Dipper and Steven. Just keep me post if you hear anything from them, K?" Stan gave a solid nod and moved out of the purple Gem's way. "You got it, kid! Now, go find those kids and spy on them from the bushes!"

Amethyst gave a confident nod and began to leave the alley to find the boys. However, before she left, she stopped and looked to Stan one more time. "Stan….thanks for…helping me and junk." The purple Gem then ran off, this time with confidence instead of fear. "Anytime, kid." Stan said as he saw the purple Gem off. He was definitely still worried about the boys, but he felt better knowing that Amethyst was on the case.

After all, he had seen the purple Gem accomplish the impossible before.


	18. Wake Up Call

Wake Up Call

A sequel to Difficult Decisions and All the World's A Stage

It was days like this on the lake shore that made Mabel really appreciate the beauty of Gravity Falls. The weather was relatively cool for a summer day, making it very comfortable to be outside. The afternoon sun painted the blue lake was a collage of reds, oranges and yellows that created something straight out of a professional painting. To top it all off, a slight breeze was wafting through the shore, blowing through her hair. Mabel always found time to come down to the lake on days like this to truly appreciate her summer retreat. It made her feel like she was in her own special place where she didn't have to be afraid of expressing her true self and where her friends and family would always be by her side.

However, today wasn't one of those days.

Today, Mabel was too worried about more important matters to appreciate the beautiful atmosphere the small Oregon town provided. Important matters such as an insane dream demon threatening to take away her only brother and best friend. Mabel was still in relative shock from last night when Bill decided to pay her a visit. That morning, she could've sworn that she still felt the "incentive chain" shackled around her ankle, but that obviously wasn't the case in the real world. Mabel barely ate any breakfast that morning thanks to her trauma, which did raise some concern from Stan. Luckily, Mabel was able to convince her grunkle that she didn't have an appetite at that moment and would eat something else later in the day. That provided a good excuse for the girl to get out of the Shack and start looking for the boys. She couldn't keep these thoughts bottled up in her head any longer, so she thought it best to talk to Dipper and Steven about it. However, deep down she knew the real reason she had to tell them was because they were probably the only ones that would know what to do in this situation. After all, when was the last time she ever did anything to fix a problem.

After a day of wandering around, and running into Connie for a brief moment, Mabel made her way down to the lake. It was there where she finally found the boys she was looking for, only to find them in an unusual position. When she found them, Steven and Dipper were in the middle a comforting hug. Mabel really only felt confusion at this, but there was also a tiny bit of jealousy in there as well.

"Steven…Dipper?!" Mabel said, interrupting the boys from their hug. Dipper immediately separated from the hug, blushing from being caught in a rather embarrassing scenario. "Oh, hey Mabel! Me and Steven were just uh….having a chat and all that. Ha ha!" Dipper tried to downplay the situation.

Mabel put on a rather skeptical look, but Steven notices something else was off about Mabel. Instead of her usual cheery demeanor, it appear that she was lost in a heavy train of thought. "Mabel, are you okay? Where's Connie?" the young Gem asked. Mabel was silent for a minute before finally answering. "Oh, well Connie needed to head back home, but listen guys," the girl began and then step forward in front of the boys. "I really need to talk to you to about something."

Now that she had gotten the boys attention, she began to realize that she had no idea how to even begin to say what was on her mind. How would she be able to say anything without raising a panic from the boys. After all, no one would take the news that a psychotic demon was out for their lives very easily. The girl never really was one to discuss matters on a more delicate manner, that usually fell to Dipper. As for the boys, they were equally confused about Mabel's unusual behavior. Apart from a few occasions, the energic girl usually put on a bright smile throughout the day. The only times that she was this solemn when something was very wrong. This made Dipper and Steven uneasy, so they decided to probe further to see what was bothering the girl.

"Mabel, are you okay?" Steven asked cautiously. "You seem a little…down. Do you need to talk about something?" Dipper then approached Mabel as a sign of concern. "Yeah Mabel, whatever is bothering you, we're right here for you. Both of us." Mabel's eyes starting to feel wet with tears as she saw how concerned they were over her sake. In the back of her mind, she realized that there was no way that Mabel could lose these two. Dipper and Steven were always there to pick her up whenever she felt down. They were her anchor whenever she faced a problem that not even her bubbly personality could deflect. If they were taken away from her for good, Mabel guessed that she would be lost in this world and practically shut down. True she had other people in her life that would be there for her, but there was some special connection with her twin brother and closest friend that she cherished the most. There was no way she could imagine a reality where Dipper and Steven were no longer around to protect her.

However, she swallowed her anxiety began her explanation. "Guys," she began. "Promise me not to completely freak out, okay? Last night, I saw Bill in a dream, and he…had a lot to say." The boys were immediately shocked when they heard that the dream demon had attacked her. Mabel was surprised when Steven suddenly hurried over to the girl and embraced her in a tight hug. Mabel had no idea how to react to this, only giving off a faint blush on her face. The young Gem released from the hug and held on tightly to Mabel's hands. "Oh my gosh, Mabel!" Steven said, worry clearly visible in his eyes. "Are you okay?! Did he hurt you?! Why didn't you tell us sooner?! Did he take over your body?!" Mabel was unsure how to respond to these barrage of question, but thankfully her brother was there to help her. "Steven, calm down! Give her a little bit a space!" Dipper said in a calm, but firm, tone. Steven then listened, letting go of Mabel and backing away a few steps from her. The inquisitive boy then looked to his sister, with the same worry in his eyes as Steven's. "Just take your time Mabel. What did Bill do to you?"

Mabel recollected herself and continued with her story. "W-well, Bill didn't really hurt me," she lied, trying to not panic the boys again. "He just put me on a stage with a chain around my leg. Anyway, it was what he said to me that got me really worried lately. Bill is like, really mad at you guys for tricking him at that stupid sock opera I put on last month. He went on about 'lost opportunities' or something like that, but I didn't really understand what he meant by that. He then told me that he was going to take you two away from me, which probably means he might try and…kill you." The word felt like poison on her mouth. Mabel had spent the entire day thinking about the threat Bill had made to her, but actually talking about it out loud made it sound like a thousand times worse.

Both of the boys had grim reactions to this unsettling news, though they weren't really focusing about themselves. For Steven, the only thing that he could think about was how close Bill was to seriously harming Mabel. It was no secret that the young Gem often put the safety of others before the safety of himself. This time was no different as he had difficultly hearing how the dream demon invaded the poor girl's privacy and tormented her. While he believed that Bill had a reason for attacking him, Mabel was innocent in this and didn't deserve the triangle's twist game of psychological torment. Mabel was one of his best friends and would stop it nothing to do everything in his power to protect them. Unfortunately, throughout this thought process of protecting Mabel, he barely paid any mind to the threat to his life that Mabel had just told him.

As for Dipper, he was concentrating on containing the ever-growing anger inside of him. He was finding hard to believe that the dream demon had the audacity to attack his sister just to get to him. It was low, it was sick, and it was completely exacted of the sadistic triangle. The boy's thought then wandered back to a rather stale memory that he did particularly like thinking about. It was the note that Bill had apparently wrote to Mabel while he was possessing his body. The part that had really stuck to him was near the end of the note where Bill had directly threatened Mabel. It was something about how causal and how terrible it was that had made Dipper's blood boil deep down inside of him. After reading that note, Dipper was ready to work twice as hard with his sword training, if Steven and Mabel didn't convince him to slow down for his sake. But now it was like the note all over again. His twin sister had to describe to him how a demon tormented her just to get to him. He couldn't protect her from the dream demon, and now he was seeing the consequences.

When both boys were finished processing what they just heard, Steven was the first one to, or at least try to, say something. "Mabel..I…I…" he tried his best to talk. Fortunately, Dipper was quick to cut in and continue the conversation. "Mabel why didn't you tell us about this sooner!? All this time we were worrying about our problems when we should have been there for you! Don't keep this stuff from us, okay?!" Steven was finally able to formulate words again and attempted to calm Dipper down. "Dipper please," he pleaded to the boy, and then turned to Mabel. "What Dipper is trying to say is that you should really talk to us when something like that happens. Bill's really dangerous and he could've really hurt you!"

For a second, Mabel couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. She had just told the boys that the insane dream demon that had been tormenting them all summer was about to kill them, and all they could worry about was _her_ safety?! The girl just couldn't understand the logic behind this, so she decided to clarify the danger that they were in. "Wait guys, did you even listen to me?! Bill is out to get you guys! He doesn't care about me, he told me….himself." Mabel's voice dropped at the last part. She began to reminder from her dream how Mabel had selfless offered herself to stop Bill from hurting the boys, only to be denied with a horrible shock from the chain that was attached to her. The triangle then went into detail on how worthless she really was and wasn't even worth the time to torture. And as she began to think more and more about it, Bill may have had a point.

"Mabel, please don't worry about us!" Dipper tried to reassure his sister. "Steven and I can handle Bill together. We know how he thinks and we know how to deal with him. I know you're concerned for us, but we'll be okay. I promise!" Steven gave Mabel a reassuring smile, but she didn't return it back. Instead, she was on a different train of thought. The boys rather quick to exclude her from their struggle again Bill. Almost as if they thought that she wouldn't be any help against the dream demon. So, she decided to voice this concern. "Oh what, so it's just gonna be you guys against Bill?! What about me or what about Connie? What happened to being a team again and facing our problems together?! Did you just happen to forget that it was me who saved your butt from Bill last time, Dipper?" Mabel accused her brother.

Dipper gave a tired sigh. "Mabel, you know that was different! I didn't know how dangerous Bill was back then. But now I'm ready! I know what to expect from him, and I know how to use a sword to fight him!" Steven then stepped in to voice his side of the argument. "Connie also knows how to use a sword as well, and I have my shield! The only reason we worry about is because you don't know how to…protect yourself." The young began to really regret those final words, especially as he began to see the tears forming in the girl's eyes. Steven knew that Mabel knew how to protect herself from danger. However, Bill was an entirely different threat altogether, a threat that Steven was nowhere near comfortable watching Mabel face. He just wanted to protect her, just like how he wanted to protect everyone else.

Mabel tried her best to look angry, but the tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes were betraying her. Bill words were becoming reality right in front of her face. Here she was, try to help the two people that she cherished the most in this world, and they responded by saying that she was… _useless_? "Guys please, I can help," she pleaded. "I have my grappling hook for crying out loud! Do you know how many times that saved our butts in the past! Why won't you guys let me help you?!" The tears were starting to break from her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Steven looked quite apprehensive about saying anything else, but Dipper wasn't. He was going to convince Mabel that this was too dangerous for her, even if it meant that he was going to have to be firm with her. "Mabel," he began. "That thing has only been useful in getting us out of sticky situations. We don't need to get out of this one, we need to fight back against it! And truth be told, a grappling hook is nowhere as efficient as a sword or a shield for fighting against Bill. Therefore, the most logical conclusion here is for you to just sit this one out. Me and Steven appreciate the concern, but we can handle this! What don't want you involved because we think that-"

"I'M USELESS?!" Mabel suddenly interrupted Dipper. The flood gate had been open and there was no stopping her from releasing all of her bottled up emotions. "You guys don't want me involved because I'm just a burden?! Well guess what: That's the exact same thing that Bill told me last night! Before he went away, I tried to trade my life so that he wouldn't go after you two! And all he did was laugh at me and shock me with that stupid chain! He told me that I was worthless and wasn't even worth being tortured by him! So now here I am, trying my best to try and save the people I love, only to find out that they think that I'm useless too! So, I guess that settles it, I'M JUST USELESS! I guess I'd be better off dead to everyone!" Mabel ended her tangent by breaking down into tears and running off only a few feet away to retreat into "Sweatertown".

For a moment, neither of the boys had no idea how to react to this. He sudden reflux of information was somewhat overwhelming for them both. First, they find out that Bill did indeed cause harm to Mabel, then they find out that the dream demon had completely destroyed the girl's self-esteem. To make matters even worse, they only seem to have worsen her condition in a misguided attempt to keep her out of their problem. It was now clear what had just happened: They screwed up big time, and now they had to do something to fix it. While Dipper completely in the dark on how to improve this situation, Steven had a pretty good idea on what to do. It was time to stop pushing her away and finally let her in. The young Gem slowly approached the girl hiding in her sweater and took a seat next to her.

"Mabel," he simply addressed her. Mabel slowly poked her head out of her sweater to glance at her friend. While she was expecting him give her some long-winded speech, she was utterly shocked when she felt his strong arms pull her into a tight embrace. For the first time since yesterday, Mabel felt safe in the young Gem's arms. Almost all of the girl's worries and fears melted away from the warmth and comfort that the hug provided. Steven then continued what he had to say to her. "I'm sorry, I really am. I know what it's like to feel like you're just dead weight to your friends and family. But you have to believe me when I tell you you're not useless. I know I've only known you and Dipper for just this summer, but I sometimes have a really hard time imagine what my life was without you two. You're kind, you're funny, and you just make my heart feel all warm inside! You're the exact opposite of useless, you're one of my closest friends."

Mabel couldn't suppress the blush that was forming across her face. The young Gem words touched her heart and seemed to have lifted a large weight that was on her shoulders. As if she couldn't be more surprised, she felt another set of arms wrap around her. She turned to the side to see that this time it was Dipper that had pulled her into an embrace. While Steven's hug was new sensation that she couldn't enjoy more, Dipper's hug felt much more nostalgic to her. These were hug she got whenever she had rough day at school or someone's mean comment cut her real deep. "Mabel," Dipper said. "You're my twin sister, and that make the most important person that I have in this life. I just don't want to see you getting hurt. But you're right, this is our problem. Bill is coming after all of us and we need to work together to stop him. We've done some amazing things over this summer when we worked together. Maybe if we worked together again, then maybe we can stand a chance against Bill. Think you can find it in your heart to forgive us and help us beat Bill?"

The tears that were streaming down Mabel's cheeks turned from tears of anger into tears of joy. The boys' kind words helped ease her out of the dark and unsure place she was in and guided her into a place with light and hope. She couldn't stop herself from extending both of her arms so that she could return to hug that both of the boys were giving her. This was the exact thing that Bill wanted to take away from her, and there was no way that she was going to stand by and let that happen. Not without a fight.

"Promise me, guys," Mabel suddenly said. "Please promise me that you won't leave my side. I really hate to admit it, but facing Bill alone is really scary. I don't want to do this alone." Dipper and Steven didn't answer right away. While they would both unquestionably agree to that request, they didn't know what the future would hold for them. However, they both quickly shook that uncertainly away. Mabel was special to the both of them, and they would do anything to make sure that she would be safe. "Of course we will." Steven said with a warm smile. "We'll never leave your side Mabel. We wouldn't dream of it." Dipper responded with a similar smile to Steven's. Mabel gave another warm smile at this, as she tightened the hug that she was giving both of the boys.

The sun slowly set from the lake; the beautiful reds and oranges fading away to give way to the calm, cool blues of the night. There on that lake shore were three children. A boy with a passionate to solve the world's mysteries; a girl with enough enthusiasm to lift anyone's spirit and a Gem hybrid whose destiny reached up to the stars above. These children made a promise to each other; that they would be there for each other from the threat that wanted to destroy the very bond that they cherished the most.

Unfortunately, some promises are harder to keep than others.


	19. Mother's Intuition

Mother's Intuition

A sequel to Wake Up Call and Clipped Wings

After a conversation that was rather emotionally draining, Dipper needed a change of scene. While he couldn't deny that talking to both Steven and Mabel had been extremely helpful with dealing with the future, he decided to leave them both to their own devices and left the lake. Stars were beginning to pepper the sky above Gravity Falls as afternoon slowly transformed into dusk. A cool evening breeze went through the boy's hair as he slowly made his way to his destination. While Steven and Mabel just assumed that Dipper was going back to the shack to get some much-needed rest, he had something different in mind. Dipper didn't exactly want to go back to the shack just yet, because he wanted to avoid his grunkle who would no doubt ask him why he looked so down-trotted. Instead, Dipper decided that what he needed was talk to someone else other than Steven or Mabel. Someone who he knew would hear him out completely and offer genuine concern for his problems.

If he was being honest with himself, the day Lapis was finally freed from Malachite was probably one of the happiest days in Dipper's life. The sheer joy and relief he felt as soon as he confirmed Lapis was finally safe from that nightmare was unimaginable. His joy only grew even more when Lapis decided to stay at the barn on the outskirts of town. Dipper could finally talk to Lapis again, without feeling ashamed or embarrassed about whatever he had to say. The unexpected friend he had during this summer was finally back in his life and it was clear that the blue Gem had the exact same sentiment.

Dipper gave a small smile at the thought as the barn started to appear from the horizon. The barn was a considerable distance away from town, but Dipper had walked longer distances before and he rather enjoyed the cool, summer evening air. The barn was considerably different from when how it was when Lapis and Peridot first moved there. This could probably be credited to the various "meep morps" that the Homeworld refugees had created to pass the time. The boy was happy that the ocean Gem was finding ways to express herself, and noticed that was significantly improving her recover from the Malachite incident. With that final thought, Dipper had finally reached his destination and scanned the area for the blue Gem. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to talk about with her, but he knew that he just wanted to be in her presence.

After a quick search, Dipper found Lapis sitting on top of the perch that was on top of the barn. At first, Dipper thought that she was just catching up on that Camp Pining Hearts show that she and Peridot were so fond of. However, this was quickly disproven as he noticed that the TV was off and Lapis was in a rather odd position. Her knees were curled up to her chest as her arms hugged them tightly. Dipper couldn't exactly tell from where he was standing, but it looked as though Lapis was deep in thought. Regardless, Dipper decided to get the blue Gem's attention. "Lapis," he called out. "Are you okay up there?"

Lapis immediately took notice of the boy as she looked down. Her eyes widened as she confirmed that Dipper was indeed there. "Dipper!" she cried out. Lapis let out her aquatic wings as she floated her way down to the boy. As soon as she reached the ground, Lapis scooped up Dipper in a tight hug that was rather surprising to the inquisitive boy. While Dipper certain didn't mind the affection, it was getting rather hard to breathe. "Um, Lapis," he struggled to say during the embrace. "Can't…really…breathe here!" Upon noticing her apparent strength, Lapis quickly released her grip. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Dipper! I didn't mean to suffocate you! I was just really relieved to see you and-"

Dipper gave a small chuckle, being rather appreciative for the blue Gem's concern. "It's okay, Lapis! I really missed you too!" The boy then showed this by giving the Gem a hug of his own. Lapis then smiled herself and returned the hug, although in a much gentler form this time. This was exactly what Lapis needed right now. After the past few days deal with Bill and what he had told the water Gem, she been quite on edge. Peridot's "cuddle session" was extremely helpful for her psyche, but after the green Gem received her own visit from the dream demon, the anxiety brought on by Bill was slowly creeping up her again. Before Dipper had arrived, Lapis was in deep thought about what exactly she would tell the boy. She didn't want to scare him, but he also had to know the danger he was really in. However, that could wait. Right now, she just wanted to have a nice conversation with one her favorite people in this universe.

Dipper separated from the hug and started to look around the barn. "Hey, where's Peridot? Is she around?" he asked the blue Gem. Lapis gave a small frown at the question, knowing that the answer was rather grim. Peridot had told Lapis that she needed to go on a walk to think about what Bill had told her in her dream. The Gem technician had made a promise to her that she wouldn't distance herself like Lapis did before, and the blue Gem had no reason to doubt her. After thinking for half a second, Lapis decided to tell Dipper a half lie. "Oh, um…she wanted…to go on a walk! Peri just wanted to enjoy the nice, open air, so she went out to enjoy it! Ha!" the ocean Gem said, giving a small grin in hopes of selling the lie. She was rather nervous about Dipper believing her. She knew that the boy was extremely smart for his age, and could probably see through a blatant lie when he heard one.

And that was exactly what Dipper was trying to figure out. Upon noticing Lapis's lack of eye contact and unsure tone, he knew that he was hiding something from him. However, the real question was whether or not he wanted to press the blue Gem for more information. Lapis had always made sure to not push Dipper on any subjects or memories that made him uncomfortable, unless he wanted to talk about it, of course. It was one of the many reasons why the boy loved to talk to her so much. It would seem wrong for him to just ignore that and press the Gem to make her uncomfortable. But at the same time, he could just let his new friend just remain in her clearly-apparent wallowing. No, Dipper concluded to himself that he needed to press on this issue, no matter where it would lead.

"Lapis," Dipper said slowly. "Something's wrong, I know it." Before Lapis could object to this claim, Dipper continued on. "And please don't tell me that everything's fine, because it clearly isn't. You're quieter than usual, you keep avoiding eye contact with me! Something's clearly wrong, and you need to tell me! Remember back on the lake, how you said that we shouldn't hide anything from each other? I'm willing to hold my end of that promise, but that means that you have to meet me halfway. So, I'll ask you again: What's going on with you?!"

Lapis was still silent, contemplating on what to do here. She really _really_ wanted to talk to Dipper about what she had been going through because she knew that the boy would know exactly what to say to finally put her at ease. The only problem, however, was how was she going to explain to him the horrible fate that the dream demon had in store for him and Steven. The last thing she wanted to do was to add to his already large paranoia and causing Dipper to constantly look over his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, Lapis wouldn't even dream to tell Dipper and would try to solve the problem on her own….but these weren't normal circumstances. Dipper had made a very good point about what she promised on the lake. Secrets were the last thing Dipper and Lapis needed right now. Lapis had to stop avoiding this and tell Dipper the grim reality of his safety. She only prayed that their friendship would be strong enough to withstand the news.

With a long, tired sigh and a shameful look on her face, Lapis finally spoke. "I saw Bill in my dreams last night."

For a moment, it felt like the entire world just went silence around the two beings standing in the field. Neither one really knew how to follow up on this, however there was plenty going on inside in their respected minds. For Lapis, she was inwardly panicking and scolding herself for not finding a better method to break the news to the boy. Judging by the sheer look of shock and horror on his face, it was obvious that he wasn't taking it very well. Dipper was the one who told her about the demon in the first place, so she knew that her understood the gravity of this situation.

On the other side, Dipper was in complete shock and awe from what he just heard. Dipper knew that Bill was capable of doing any despicable act for sheer sadistic pleasure. But never in his most terrifying nightmares would he think that the dream demon would finally live up to his threats and decided to torment Lapis as well. While every part of this situation was downright horrible, the worst part of it all was that he knew that this was all his fault. Dipper knew that the only reason Bill would even give Lapis the time of day was to get to him. Bill knew very well about how precious Lapis was to him, and going after would be a serious blow to both his spirit and emotions. Dipper couldn't take it, he needed to find some way to break this unbearable silence. While he would probably regret this, he decided to probe the blue Gem more about her encounter with the sadistic triangle. "Lapis," he tried saying in a calm demeanor. "Tell me exactly what Bill did to you. Please!"

Lapis shifted uncomfortably for a second before she decided to speak again. "Nothing. Honestly, he didn't do anything to…physically hurt me. It's just what he told me that's really making me feel uneasy these days. He…he said…he said he was coming after you and Steven, okay?! He just kept taunting me about how he's going to hurt you two, kill you or worse somehow! Ever since then, I've been scared to even close my eyes and risk falling asleep again! Peridot was able to help me a little bit, but then she saw Bill too. And honestly I just have no idea what to do here or how I can keep you two safe! And…and…" Lapis was suddenly interrupted when Dipper quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. The blue Gem began to notice that tears had formed in her eyes as she was telling her story.

Dipper felt nothing but guilt and pity that Lapis had to endure such a horrendous experience, and he wanted to do was to make her feel comfortable again. The last time the dream demon attacked his mind, it took him days of recovery before he could feel comfortable in his own skin again. Dipper couldn't just stand by and let his close friend experience that same thing that he had to endure. He had to comfort her and convince her that he was more than ready to protect himself against the dream demon. "Lapis," Dipper said softly. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to worry about me or Steven. We know that Bill is coming after us, but it's fine. Steven and I will watch each other's back in case Bill decides to attack us. If he ever comes close to us, we can always fuse into Stepper, and stop him for good! Alright?"

What should have been comforting thought filled the water Gem with absolute terror. As soon as Dipper had mentioned Stepper, memories of that night came flooding back. The image of the twisted amalgamation of both Dipper and Steven's symbols engulfed in a blue flame came back to her. Bill had told her that he was going to make the boy really suffer, and she knew exactly how he was going to do it. Using fusion as a form of torture wasn't just outright despicable, it was all too familiar to the ocean Gem. Lapis couldn't just stand aside and let the boys fall to the same fate as she once did. Though she would never admit it out loud, Malachite was still very much present in the back of her mind, and it's been tormenting her ever since she unfused. Lapis had to do something here. She had to convince Dipper to avoid fusion at all cost, even if that meant she would have to be harsh with him.

Lapis quickly separated from the hug and went down on her knees to be eye level with the boy. She kept a completely dead serious expression as she looked right at him. "Dipper, listen to me very closely. You and Steven have to avoid fusion at all costs! When I saw Bill, he mentioned something about fusion that made me feel really nervous and scared for you. I think that Bill's going to use Stepper to really hurt you two! So please, DO NOT FUSE! It can only lead to disaster!" At first, Dipper was rather unsure how to react to this request. However, after he internally analyzed the situation, he realized that Lapis had just asked him to not fuse with Steven based on very little context. And that made the boy feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Wait, what?" Dipper said, slowly backing away from the Gem. "Lapis, it's fine, really! You don't have to worry, Stepper is totally capable of handling Bill. Me and Steven talked about it." Lapis was having none of this. She knew the exact type of danger the boys were in, and she wasn't going to stand by and let it happen. "It's not fine, Dipper! Don't you remember how terrible Malachite was?!

"Malachite was different, Lapis!" Dipper countered. "Steeper we'll be our choice this time around. You have no idea how special and confident I feel when I'm Stepper. Didn't you say you were proud of us for fusing, even though you had a bad experience with fusion?" Lapis was taken aback by this question. Of course she was proud of them. How could she not be proud of two of her most precious humans achieving harmony? But the water Gem realized that he was just deflecting the issue. It was time to put her foot down. "Dipper, this isn't about how great Stepper is, this about the safety of both you and Steven! I cannot and I will not let you endanger yourself just to prove a point. I am forbidding from fusing with Steven until all of this mess is sorted out! Understand?!"

Dipper couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. Lapis, one of the very few people who actually understood him, was forbidding him from fusing. Dipper was more than just mad, he was outraged. It was just like when Garnet had forbidden him from fusion, thought it was much worse this time. This time, it was someone he completely trusted with. However, no matter how close they were, Dipper would not be pushed around like this. "You forbid me?! Lapis you don't have any right to do that! Fusion is our choice and we should decide when we want to fuse!" Lapis shook her head and kept her serious expression. "That may be true, Dipper, but this is a life-and-death situation we're talking about here! If that means that I have to stop you two from fusing, then that's what I'm going to do! You just don't know better!"

Just then, a thought popped into Dipper's head. It was a thought that, under normal circumstance, would never even think about saying to his closest friend. But at the moment, he was angry. And that unfortunately meant that there was no censor to stop him from expressing this thought. "Why do you always do this?" he said in a hushed tone. Lapis looked at him with confusion, but the boy continued on. "Why do you always dot me and constantly look over me like this. It's like you don't think I can handle anything on my own! So, always seem to coddle me and treat me like I'm a helpless little kid! Well guess what? I'm not helpless and I'm more than prepared to take on Bill with Steven's help! So back off, because YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!"

For the second time that night, the air fell silent around them. Only this time, the words that hung in the air were not sad or fearful. They were words of scorn and frustration that lingered like a terrible stench. Lapis was just stunned for a moment. It felt as all of her hopes and dreams were crushed to dust with those four words Dipper just uttered. Deep down, there was always the idea that Dipper and Lapis were more than just friends. The idea that Lapis could act like a guardian to the inquisitive boy. It was a love that Lapis had recently come into knowledge of, and she couldn't deny that idea gave her a warm feeling inside her heart. However, it was now clear how Dipper felt about that idea, and it ripped the warm feeling apart right in front of her and was stomped for good measure. Her heart hurt, and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks again.

As Dipper saw the tears, he couldn't help but feel bad about the outburst he just had. He really did want to apologize and tell her that he didn't mean it, but he was tired. After Steven and Mabel earlier today, he was tired of apologizing. He was tired of being pushed around and feeling as if everyone's feelings rested upon his shoulders. So, instead of simply apologizing, Dipper decided to let the water Gem down easy. "Lapis, I'm…I'm not going to go fuse with Steven right away. But if a situation rises where I'll need to fuse with him, I won't hesitate. There's nothing you can do about it."

Lapis gave no response to this, and simply just stared out the ground. Dipper had no idea where to continue the conversation, so he decided to take his leave. "Lapis, I'm going to get going now. We'll talk about this later, alright? Good night." And thus, the boy turned around and left for the shack. He had hoped that this visit to the barn would have help him with his fleeting confidence on these dire events. But it seemed as if all the confidence that he had gain throughout this day just left him, leave behind an empty, unsure void behind.

Lapis couldn't do anything expect for falling down on her hands and knees. Tears were stain the ground as she contemplated how she had failed to properly warn Dipper of the dangers Bill would bring. How she had just failed to protect the boy that she desperately wanted to see as a son.


	20. Story Update

**Hey guys! Just wanted let you guys know what's going with these next oneshots so that you're not confused. Well, these R/M/D oneshots have been fun, but I think it's time I move on to something new. These next couple of oneshots are going to be dub what I would call: "The Post-Stonemason Arc". For the few of you who don't know who Stonemason is, I highly recommend you go on MiniJenn's Tumblr because she does a much better job explaining it than I ever could. In short, these oneshots will take place in the future sequel for UF, right after Dipper gets free from his mind control and a certain dream demon (yes, he will also be back in the sequel) decides to do what he does best: taunt the characters about the consequences of their actions! It gonna be a fun and angsty ride, so buckle up and get ready for some feels! So until the next oneshot is posted, see ya!**

 **KRSH BRX HQMRB, FDXVH L'P VXUH DV KHOO QRW JRLQJ WR JR HDVB RQ KDOI SLQH DQG KLV SDWKHWLF IULHQGV!**


	21. A Stone-Cold Truth

A Stone-Cold Truth

If there was one thing Dipper had learned from this summer, it was that people usually took many of the little things for granted. Whether it was a morning coffee every morning, having money to spend on fun times with friends and family or even something as mundane as electric toothbrush. For Dipper, the little thing that he had taken for granted was having feeling in his left arm again. He gently moved his right hand of his new prosthetic to further confirm this unfortunate reality. While his right hand felt the smooth, glass-like surface of the robotic arm, he couldn't feel the warm touch of his own hand. Dipper couldn't feel anything in his right arm, and they're wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Fortunately, Dipper could still feel the warm breeze with the rest of his body from his spot on the roof of the Mystery Shack. The sun had just set less than half an hour ago, making the air cool and comfortable with a refreshing breeze to boot. Dipper had decided to come up here to get some, what he considered, much needed privacy. As much as he loved to finally be reunited again with his family and friends again, he still needed space to breathe and take in everything that had happen to him. Of course, he couldn't exactly think about everything that had transpired all at once, at the risk of having another panic attack.

After everything that had happened to him, the mere mention of the word 'Stonemason' mentally stung the poor boy. Shivers still went down his spine whenever he thought back to what he had went through back on Homeworld. His memory was still rather hazy, but he still had an outline of the intense pain and inhumane conditions. However, it wasn't what had happened to him on Homeworld that made him completely sick to his stomach, it was what he did _after_ what happened on Homeworld. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Dipper had attempted to kill Steven, Mabel, Connie and everyone else he had held important to him. He had caused untold damage to Gravity Falls, traumatized dozens of innocent people in his conquest, and worst of all, made his family worry over that stupid mistake that he made.

When Steven and Mabel finally did the near impossible and saved Dipper from his brainwashing, he thought that it was finally over. But reality hit him rather hard when he gazed down to his new arm. That hunk of metal was a constant reminder of his mistakes, his sins, and his failures. It was even worse when Ford and Peridot had to tell him that the arm was hard wired to his nervous system, meaning that it could never be removed. From there, it felt like Dipper's entire world was slowly deteriorating around him, and it was because of that stupid arm! Deep down, he so badly wanted to hate this unfeeling hunk of metal that was perverting his body. However, he realized that, like it or not, this arm was a part of him now. Meaning that hating it would also mean hating a part of himself.

Dipper quickly shook that thought out of his head and looked up to the stars. Despite being the origins of all his current despairs, he couldn't deny that the stars twinkled beautifully in the night sky. It was one of the few things these days that soothed him enough to relax a little bit. As he gazed into the twinkly dots in the sky, his eyelids began to feel heavy. His muscles slowly began to relax, and he began to feel more comfortable in his position. If he really wanted to, Dipper could just fall into the realm of sleep and finally get the rest that he desperately needed.

However, his eyes slowly began to open and he got up back into his sitting position. As much as he wanted to drift off to sleep for a few hours, he just couldn't get the terrible thoughts out of his head. The wind had picked up a bit, but Dipper was far too concerned with the inner turmoil he was dealing with. Dipper looked down to the metallic arm again in slight disgust. "Why did they do this to me?" he murmured to himself. "They could've just brainwash me and just leave it at that. Why did they have to…" Dipper cut himself off as the terrible memory of the surgical saw blade inching closer to his arm. The boy shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the memory, and then gave out loud groan. "Grrr, why is this so difficult!" Dipper slammed his fist down on the ground. As of a result of not fully realizing his new strength, his fist crash right through the wooden floor of the loft. Dipper removed his arm and looked down to the sizable hole he had made. It seemed like even if he was free from Stonemason's influence, he was still causing unneeded destruction. At this thought, Dipper gave a tired sigh and looked up to the sky again. "Things can't get worse." He told himself solemnly.

Before Dipper could fall into another spiral of depressing thoughts, he began to notice something about his surroundings. The wind had picked up quite suddenly, almost to the point where Dipper had to hold on to hat to stop it from blowing off his head. The boy got up and scanned the environment to find the cause of the sudden gust of wind. It seemed eerily familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. His concern only grew as he noticed that world was slowly beginning to be drained of its color. Dipper recognized this, but he refused to believe that it was happening. Dipper looked up to the moon and noticed that it was brighter than ever before. To his complete horror, a black line slowly began to slide down the middle of the shining orb in the sky. Before he could exclaim anything out of fear, the shining suddenly flashed, blinding the boy for a few seconds. When Dipper looked back up, his worst nightmares were confirmed. Before him was the architect of his nightmares and misery from over a year ago: Bill Cipher.

" _Oh, I'm not too sure about that, Pine Tree!_ "

For a moment, Dipper just couldn't believe his eyes. The dream demon that had tricked and tormented him so much last summer was once again floating before him. It was so much of a surprise, but the same time, wasn't really. Before the "Stonemason Incident", Dipper and the rest of the kids were made quite aware that Bill had not been destroyed during Weirdmageddon as they originally assumed. The sadistic triangle had in fact survived, and he was now back to enact his twisted revenge on the one that had ruined his plans for world domination. Each of the kids had a rather different reaction to the demon's return. Connie was rather annoyed that would have to deal with the dream demon again, and Mabel was worried about what he would try to do to her family. Steven and Dipper, however, were simply stunned by the demon's return. After what the demon had done to them that previous summer, the boys couldn't exactly put their terrified thoughts into words. Even then, the presence of the demon was almost completely forgotten during Stonemason's reign of terror.

" _Well well well,_ " Bill said, snapping Dipper out of his terrified gaze. " _Look what we have here! A broken kid contemplating how broken he really is! How you doing, Pine Tree? You look a bit different than the last time I saw you! Did you lose weight, or have you gained it?! Ha ha, I'm hilarious!_ " Dipper cringed at the demon's tasteless job about his condition. The boy just couldn't accept the fact that Bill had decided to confront him during his lowest point. This had to some sort of hallucination from the lack of sleep. "No," Dipper stuttered. "NO NO NO! This isn't happening, not now! You're not really Bill! You're just some type of hallucination that's being caused by me dealing with all of this!" Bill put on what Dipper imagined what would be a smirk as he floated behind Dipper and putting his long, black arm around his shoulder. " _Oh Pine Tree, I assure you I'm as real as that bedwetting problem you had when you were seven! Here, why don't I prove to you that I'm the real deal!_ "

Bill gave a sharp snap of his fingers. Before Dipper could question why the demon had done that, the boy felt a sharp pain in his right eye. When he lifted his real hand up to his face in an attempt to dull the pain, he cringed as he felt something wet against his face. Dipper slowly moved his hand down to confirm what had stained his hand. His blood was dark red and warm to the touch against his hand. This was enough to bring back memories of the difficulties Dipper had to go through after the Sock Opera incident. " _Surprise?!_ " Bill asked Dipper, who was still looking down at his hand. " _That's just a little reminder of that one time I took your body for one hell of a joyride! Oh memories, I love feeling nostalgic!_ " Dipper lowered his head, not wanting to think about that terrible night. Bill was obviously not amused with the handicapped boy looking dejected during his merriment, so he decided to lighten the mood; in his own twisted way. " _Oh come on Pine Tree, no_ _ **cutting**_ _remarks about my repertoire? I totally_ _ **saw**_ _how you just took it without reacting to it! I know I'm a bit of a_ _ **diamond**_ _in the rough, but I'm trying here! You have to at least_ _ **hand**_ _it to me for that!"_

"STOP!" Dipper cried out in agony. He couldn't take the demon's constant barrage of insensitive jokes about his condition. This situation was in no way helping him cope with his prior traumatic experiences. The dream demon rolled his eye, clearly unamused with the boy's unwillingness to play along. " _Yeesh, you really need to learn to take a joke, Pine Tr…WAIT A SEC!_ " the demon suddenly exclaimed. " _I just realized something! I can't call you Pine Tree anymore, can I? I need to think up of a better name to match with your pathetic condition! Hmm…_ " Dipper was about to raise an objection to this, but the triangle quickly shushed him. " _Pipe down, kid! A genius is at work here!_ " After a bit more time of musing, Bill suddenly snapped his fingers again. " _I got it: HALF PINE!_ " he shouted triumphantly to the confused boy. " _Get it?! See, it's funny because you're half the meatsack that you used to be! Aren't I just so clever?_ " Dipper was completely speechless, but he was still able to find some words for protest. "Wait, what? You can't just call me th-" Bill raised up his hand to interrupt the boy again. " _No need to thank me, Half Pine! I know I have a knack for this kind of stuff!_ "

Dipper was starting to get annoyed at the demon's antics now. He had come all the way up on the shack roof to try and get some peace and quiet, and Bill had just barge in and interrupted his attempt to try and recover from the past couple of days. The boy decided to finally step up and confront the demon. "Are you going to explain why you decide to invade my personal space tonight?!" he shouted at the triangle floating before him. Bill was slightly taken aback by this sudden boldness, but he decided to humor the boy. " _Oh, you know, just taking time out of my busy schedule to help you realize your pathetic place in this universe!_ " The demon then turned around, folding his arms against his back. " _I've been keeping an eye on you, Half Pine. Specifically, on all of the destruction and mayhem that you caused while your brain was all scrambled by good old Yellow! Though I will say that my part was watching Shooting Star and Rose Bud spending every night crying like little bi-_ "

"Don't you talk about my sister and best friend like that!" Dipper suddenly shouted. The boy could take a lot from the insensitive demon but insulting his twin sister and his best friend like that was where he drew the line. Before he could elaborate further, the sharp sting had returned to his right eye, forcing out another cry of pain. Bill gave Dipper a harsh glare. " _Hey Half Pine, it's especially rude to just interrupt people like that! Next time you decide to do that again, I might have to give your other eye the same treatment! Now where was I…_ " the demon trailed off. " _Ah, that's right! It's was so much fun watching all of that pain and misery that was caused just by you! Unfortunately, Shooting Star and Rose Bud had to ruin my fun and managed to wake you up. Damn shame, really!_ "

Looking up from his one good eye, Dipper glared up at the demon. He was hardly surprised that the sadistic triangle had enjoyed his endless suffering. The only question he had was why the demon was bringing this up in the first place. The boy had a sneaking suspicion on why that might be, so he decided to confront the demon directly. "So what, you're going to try and mess with my head so that I'll be Stonemason again? Well good luck with that, because I'm not going to just let you!" Dipper said with vigor. " _That would normally be the case,_ " Bill explained. " _But ever since I was wrongfully cheated of my rightful place on top of this cruddy universe, I don't think I have that much power yet. So instead, I'll do the next best thing,_ " the dream demon suddenly got right up into Dipper's face, his voice leaking with venom. " _HELPING YOU REALIZE HOW DELUTIONAL YOU ARE!_ "

"W-what do you mean?" Dipper said, clearly unaware of where the demon was going with this. Bill gave a frustrated sigh as he back away from the handicapped boy. " _How can you be this stupid Half Pine?! Because of your stupid stunt on Homeworld, you're now gonna be branded as a total freak for the rest of your pitiful existence! No matter where you go on this dumb planet, people are see that eyesore dangling from your shoulder and lost at you with shock and disgust! Even your family and friends can barely stand you! Have you ever notice how they even act around you?_ "

As the triangle raised the question, Dipper suddenly realized that the demon did make a point. While it was true that everyone was especially happy when Dipper was finally free, it felt as though they were still a bit uncomfortable around him. Whenever he was with his girlfriend, Pacifica seemed to always try to focus on his face and made extra care to not touch his prosthetic arm. When he walked into town, people on the street either gave him a worried look or a critical glare. He supposed he couldn't exactly blame them though, considering that he had almost destroyed most of their homes and businesses. However, what really hurt the most was the looks he got from his grunkles and from the Gems. Right now, he couldn't tell if those were looks of concern or looks of fear.

Dipper quickly shook those thoughts out of his head and thought back to three people. Three people that he knew would always stand by him, no matter how scarred or disfigured would become. "You're wrong." Dipper said dully to the dream demon. "I know for a fact that Mabel, Steven, and Connie will always be by my side! And if you think that there's anything that you can do to separate us, then you're the stupid one here! You failed to do it last summer, and you'll fail this time!" Dipper stared daggers at the floating triangle, who only just gave a blank stare. After a few seconds, Bill just gave small chuckle. " _Yeah, you might be on to something there, Half Pine. You Mystery Twerp do have an annoying knack to stick together and ruin all of my plans! But I do wonder how long that will last? Considering…_ " Dipper another confused look. "Considering what?" he asked carefully. The demon was quick to answer the boy. " _Oh you know, how you're still pretty much a suppressed killing machine! That arm doesn't exactly turn into a butter knife! All it would take would Yellow sing that little tune again, and you'd be back to trying to kill your friends!_ "

This managed to send a shiver down the boy's spine. Dipper was so concerned about the past and the present, he didn't even think about the possibility of Stonemason returning. "No," Dipper exclaimed. "No, that's not possible! Steven and Mabel made sure that I would never go back to…l-like that!" Bill simple chuckled at the boy's attempt to comfort himself. " _Let me let you in on something, kid! Shooting Star and Rose Bud had absolutely no idea what they were doing when trying to get you back! It was an absolute miracle that they were actually able to wake you up! So, I hardly doubt it'll be difficult for you to go back to that murderous rampage that you were in! Honestly, how long do you really think you can keep in control?!_ " Dipper was unable to answer due how much in shock he was in. Too much information and what-if scenarios were going through the poor boy's mind. All he could really do was just stand there and look down to his feet.

" _Face reality, Half Pine! It's only a matter of time before you finally snap again and do in your annoying friend once and for all!_ " Bill gloated to the dejected boy. However, a growing anger was growing inside of Dipper, as Bill listed off the many ways Dipper could hurt his precious friends.

" _Maybe you'll swipe Sword Swinger's girly blade and give her a taste of her own medicine!_ "

"Stop it."

" _Maybe you'll push Rose Bud off a cliff and watch him shatter to tiny pieces!_ "

"STOP IT!"

" _Maybe during the dead of night, you'll sneak up on your sleeping sister and slit that fragile throat of hers!_ "

"I SAID STOP IT!

" _Face it, Half Pine, you'll always be a monster from now on!_ "

"I AM NOT A MONSTER!" Dipper screamed out at the top of his lungs. Without thinking, his prosthetic arm morphed into a sharp blade and lunged forward. Dipper shut his eyes tight as his arm pierced through his intended target. When Dipper only heard silence, he assumed that he was successful in finally shutting the dream demon up. When Dipper slowly opened his eyes to review his handiwork, his face was painted with total shock and terror as he saw Mabel standing right in front of him. Dipper watched as blood slowly oozed out of her chest wound, staining her sweater and Dipper's arm. The boy quickly removed the arm and quickly backed off from the injured girl. His sister's wound was already scarring enough, but it was her face that broke Dipper. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she just stared at her twin brother. Her face was washed with pain, shock, sadness and betrayal. She only let out painful whimpers, but her expression was basically screaming 'How could you?'.

Things only got worse when Dipper unconsciously blinked his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, instead of Mabel standing before him, it was Steven. The young Gem had the same chest wound as Mabel had and he had the same shocked expression. When Dipper blinked again, Connie was standing before him. Every time he blinked his eyes, the wounded person in front of him would cycle between Mabel, Steven and Connie. All wearing that expression of betrayal. Dipper could only just stare at what he had just done. Bloody tears were coming out of his damaged eye and stained his cheek. Out of complete anger, he had just hurt and possible killed his sister and his best friends. Just like he was made to do.

Bill appear out of nowhere and floated right behind Dipper. The demon took his long, black arm and gave Dipper a celebratory pat on the shoulders for a job well done. " _I gotta hand it to ya, Half Pine, I couldn't have done a better job myself! Well, maybe I could, but still!_ " the demon said gleefully. Dipper hardly paid attention to the demon, as it appeared the he just shut down. " _Well, I gotta say this was real fun,_ " Bill said as he floated back before the boy. " _But I have some other things to get done, so I'll cut it here! But before I go, let me give one last piece of advice! If you're really serious about keeping your friends alive, I'd suggest that you stop yourself for good! A pretty good fall ought to do it! Though you might have to find a longer drop than this!_ " Bill gestured at the shack roof.

Dipper finally broke his gaze at the figure in front of him as he looked up at Bill, who began to have a flashing light behind him. " _Remember what we talked about, Half Pine! Good luck with avoiding the urge to maim and kill your friends! I'll be keeping an eye on you! Hey, just for old times' sake, wanna hear me do an impression of you in about four seconds?_ " Bill Cipher gave a terrified scream as the light behind him suddenly engulfed both him and Dipper.

* * *

Dipper woke up with a loud shriek as he suddenly shot up from laying down. The boy was panting and out of breath as he looked around him. The woods had returned to their dark colors and the wind had returned to a gentle breeze. Dipper lifted his hand to his eyes to confirm that there was no blood coming out of them. He even looked down to his metallic arm to see that there was no blood stained upon the surface. After a few more final checks of his surroundings, he could finally confirm that he was safely. Physically, at least.

On the emotional level, Dipper was a cocktail of guilt, worry and regret. The things that Bill had said to him still stuck to his brain like glue. It took five minutes alone for him to calm down his excessive breathing. The expression that Mabel, Steven and Connie had on while burned into his mind. Tears began to flow down his cheeks again as he tried to convince himself that Bill was wrong. To convince himself that he was in control of his emotions and that he would never in a million years tried to kill his family and friends again.

But he couldn't. Dipper couldn't deny that Bill was once again right. Dipper wasn't sure how long he could keep in control and he just couldn't promise that he would never hurt anyone again. So, what was there left to do exactly? Go to his friends about this dilemma? Distance himself from them? Just end it all right now for everyone's safety?

Dipper ended up just curling up into a ball and continued to sob. At least he couldn't hurt anybody doing that.


	22. Worthless Endeavors

Worthless Endeavors

For the fifth time in a row this week, Steven was having trouble sleeping. No matter how many sheep he counted or glasses of milk he drank, he just couldn't find a way to put himself under. However, it wasn't like the young Gem was in an uncomfortable position. His bed was as soft as ever, the sheets had been freshly washed, and his pillows were fluffed up to the extreme. Steven had even requested Lion to sleep on his bed to act as a sort of cuddle buddy, much to the feline's obvious annoyance. No, Steven's body was perfectly comfortable and ready for the night's embrace. His mind, however, was far from such a blissful state.

I wasn't unusual for stress to plague Steven's mind on the daily basis. Being the son of a galactic war criminal and constantly under the threat of aliens and demons would logically do that to a boy. But despite all of that, Steven was still miraculously able to push all of that to the back of his head and continued to wear a bright smile. However, it was harder and harder to wear that smile whenever he looked at that prosthetic arm attached to Dipper. That arm was a constant reminder to the young Gem how much he had failed when he was taken out into space. He thought that willingly giving himself to Homeworld would finally solve the intergalactic feud and maybe even give the Diamonds some closure. That idea went null when the twins decided to come along with him and was made even worse when Dipper didn't come back.

By that point, the Young Gem thought it couldn't get any worse, but even that change when Dipper miraculously came back, only to be brainwashed and hellbent on killing him. And even though both him and Mabel were miraculously able to snap Dipper out of it, he still had the feeling that something was seriously wrong. Dipper had been distant with him as of late, and barely even communicated with the young Gem. Steven had tried talking to Mabel about this, but even she was in the dark about what was going on with her brother. This was the main concern that kept Steven up these past few nights, and he had no idea when it would end.

"Lion, can I ask you something?" he quietly asked. The pink feline gave a small yawn and slowly opened his eyes. As usual, the pink beast looked apathetic to the young Gem's plight, but he decided to continue on. "It's just…Do you ever have that feeling that even though everything seems fine, but deep down you know something's very wrong? That's how I've been feeling since Dipper finally came back to us." Lion gave a small groan at the mention of the boy. "I know you're not the biggest fan of Dipper, but just here me here." The feline did finally raise his head a bit as he noticed his master's growing worry. "Whenever I talk to him, he always tells me that he's fine. But I really don't think he is fine. He has this sad look in his eyes and he doesn't have the same passion he had ever since…" The young Gem slowly trailed off as the dreaded memory came back into his mind. Nevertheless, he shook the thought out of his head and continued. "The real thing that's really bothering me is…why won't Dipper tell me something's wrong? I'm his best friend, I'm supposed to be there for him whenever he's hurt. How am I supposed to help him if he won't talk to me?!" Steven's mind began to delve into really dark places now. "Do you think he blames me for what happened to him? Do you think he doesn't want to be around me anymore? What if he actually hates me now?! Do you think he hates me now?! What I am going to do to gain Dipper's trust again? How am I supposed to face the Mabel or the Gems when my best friend hates me because I got him hurt?! How am I-"

The young Gem's chain of questions came to any abrupt halt when he felt a large paw on his chest. He looked over too see that Lion was now at full attention of his master. Steven looked into his pet's eyes to see genuine concern over his well-being. It was rather rare for Lion to show anything other than apathy towards the boy, so this was clearly a desperate measure. As he continued to look, Steven slowly began to realize what he was just saying and how ridiculous it really was. More likely than not, Dipper certainly didn't hate him for what had transpired on Homeworld and was just recovering from his traumatic experience. Steven gently patted Lion's head and gave him a soft smile. "You're right Lion, I think I was just getting out of hand a little." Lion put on a skeptical look at the young Gem's claim. "Okay, I was getting a lot out of hand," the boy admitted. "Thanks for snapping me out of it." The pink beast let out a small purr as Steven slowly laid back down on the bed and looked to the ceiling. "Still, I really wish that Dipper would just talk to me about this. I really worry about him sometimes. I don't know if don't already know this Lion, but Dipper can sometimes tend to keep his emotions all bottled up. And that can really lead to some bad situations. All of this Stonemason stuff is really hurting Dipper emotionally, and he should really talk about it me…and everyone else of course. Do you have any ideas, Lion?"

Steven received his answer in the form of a soft snore for the pink feline. Steven looked over to see that Lion had snuggled against his side and had fully fallen asleep. Steven smiled at his pet and realized that perhaps he might be on to something. Right now, the young Gem needed to finally get a good night sleep, so that he can tackle this problem with a clear mind. If Steven really wanted to confront Dipper on this matter, he needed to have a clear mind. He certain didn't want to cause his friend anymore stress, but this needed to be addressed. As the boy continued to think how to go about talking to Dipper, his eyelids soon began to feel heavy. Before Steven even knew, he had finally gotten the much needed sleep that had eluded to last few nights.

Only instead of much needed relief, the young Gem would receive something much, much worse.

* * *

Steven immediately knew something was wrong when he didn't fell the familiar softness of Lion's mane on his side. At first, he just assumed that the pink feline had got up and went to his usual sleeping area under the porch stairs. But this assumption was cut short as he noticed that he wasn't laying down on his soft, warm bed. It seemed that the boy was laying down on a cold, glass-like surface instead. Steven slowly opened his eyes to find out what exactly was going on, but they went wide as saucers as he saw where he was. Instead of the ceiling of his cozy room, the young Gem stared up to vast infinity that was outer space. Millions of stars twinkled above Steven's head as he quickly got to his feet. The confused boy hastily looked around to see that he was standing in the middle of a large, glowing platform floating in space. The young Gem instantly began to panic with the potential lack of oxygen, only to find that he had no issue breathing. With that potentially lethal question answered, Steven began to try and figure out where he was and how he had got there. His answer came in the form of a laugh. A laugh that was all to familiar to the boy.

" _ **Oh, come along with me,**_ " a voice began to sing from an unknown location. " _ **And the butterflies and bees!**_ " Steven's stomach dropped when he began to recognize the voice singing to him. It was a nasally, somewhat sadistic voice that the young Gem was all too familiar with. It was a voice that had tormented him and his friends not too long ago. " _ **We can wander through the forest, and do so as we please!**_ " the voice continued to sing. In an instant, Steven summoned his shield and put up a defensive stance. He quickly scanned his surroundings for where the voice was coming from. No way he would get the jump on Steven, not this time. " _ **Come along with me,**_ " the voice continued. " _ **To a cliff under a tree. We can gaze upon the water…**_ " Steven was starting to get irritated by this annoying singing. Why won't he just face him already? The boy's internal question was answered as a sudden flash of light caused Steven to shield his eyes. When the young Gem looked back, he was finally face-to-face with the dream demon he thought had been defeated a year ago. " _ **As an everlasting dream!**_ " Bill Cipher finished his song with dramatic passion. " _Aw come on, Rose Bud, you not impressed with my singing? Maybe you would've like it better if I started to break down sobbing in the middle like how you and those Crystal Chumps do it. But enough about me and my amazing sing, how's it going, Rose Bud?! I heard you've pretty busy screwing up as of late, right?!_ "

Steven wasted no time in raising his shield up against the dream demon. "You stay away, Bill! I'm not like last year. I know exactly what you are and how dangerous you can be! You're not going to trick me or Dipper again, so you can just back off!" Bill looked rather unimpressed with the young Gem's bout of courage as he reached out to the pink shield and gave it a tiny flick. Almost immediately, the shield shattered into sparkly glitter and gently fell to the young Gem's feet. Steven could only look with awe as his main line of defense was completely obliterated in an instant and then looked up to the demon again. " _Oh man,_ " the triangle said, trying to suppress his laughter. " _Now that's a LOTTA DAMAGE! Good luck trying to put that over-decorated trash lid back together with duct tape!_ "

Instead of continuing to entertain with his frustrations, Steven decided to just cut to the chase. "Why are you even here? Can't you just let me get some sleep?" The young Gem wasn't exactly sure why he had asked such a question to Bill Cipher of all beings. He knew that the dream demon was dedicated to making his life miserable. Memories of the horrendous acts the demon had done to him and Dipper sent a shiver up his spine. Just the mere thought of Bill Cipher caused Steven to almost have a small panic attack and almost made him want to just hide away from the world. It was a weakness that Steven didn't like to admit he had and tried he could to try and hide it from his friends and family.

Bill had ceased his laughter so that he could answer the boy's question. " _Come on, kid, sleep is for the weak! You handle the day best when you're panicked and stressed, that's obvious! But to answer your former question, I noticed that you've been crying over your self-esteem, well, more than usual that is! That's what I like about you, Rose Bud, you always think that you're just a piece of garbage! It's nice when some people finally decide to admit it!_ " Steven told this moment to back away from the rambling demon, just in case the demon decided to launch a surprise attack. " _So, decided that your good pal, Bill, should stop by and remind how much of a screw up you are. Just to really drive it home!_ " The young Gem's fists clenched at his sides at the triangles insults to his character. He may have lost his shield, but that didn't mean Steven would just stand idlily by and let the demon humiliate him.

"I am NOT a screw up," the young Gem yelled at the demon. "Sure, I make a mistake once and a while, but I do a lot more good than bad. I help the Gems protect the Earth, I was able to save Dipper from Homeworld, and I stopped you from take over the universe!" Bill gave the Gem a dark stare, a stare that me his back shiver and almost made Steven regret speaking up against the petty demon. " _You know Rose Bud,_ " Bill spoke in a dead serious tone. " _I wouldn't suggest bring that last detail up with me. Because whenever I think about how my well-deserved victory was taken away from me that one year ago, I get_ _ **ROYALLY PISSED OFF**_ _!_ " The demon's voice boomed as grew several times his size. His yellowed body turned into a dark crimson and his eye became a single black hole of hate. Steven was immediately startled and fell backward onto his back. The young Gem was relieved when Bill decide to revert back to his original form and straightened out his bowtie. " _But I'm above things like that. So instead, I'll go ahead and prove to you that your whole existence is nothing more than a burden that cause more harm than good! How about we start with Pine Tree, or as I call him nowadays, Half Pine! See, it's funny because he's half the meatsack he used to be!_ "

Steven immediately stood again; ready to take another stance against the dream demon. The boy could take a lot of punishment from the demented triangle but talking bad about his best friend struck a nerve within him. "I'm not falling for it, Bill! I know that I saved Dipper from Stonemason. I know I left him behind on Homeworld, and I already feel terrible about it! Dipper got hurt and lost a part of him because I…wasn't strong enough. I know I messed up, but I fixed it! Me and Mabel saved Dipper from all of that, and I'm proud of it! You can't convince me otherwise!"

Bill decided to let the young Gem finish his little tangent before he started to burst out laughing again. " _Oh man, Rosebud, I knew you were dumb but come on! Do you honestly think that you actually saved Half Pine from this mess?! Sorry to burst your pink, girly bubble but Half Pine still has that killer instinct deep in that head of his. Hell, it wouldn't really surprise me if Half Pine turned psycho assassin just like_ _ **that**_ _!_ " The dream demon gave a sharp snap of his fingers and Steven immediately went rigid. The boy felt a cold, blade press up against his neck, immediately recognizing it as the horrid, yellow that Stonemason had wielded against. Though he still didn't the Homeworld assassin himself, he still didn't dare to move in fear of suddenly slitting his throat. " _Ha, oh you should see the look on your face right now, Rosebud. I totally need to save this!_ " The demon quickly floated next to the frighten Gem and put his black arm around his shoulder. Bill then summoned a smartphone out of nowhere and snapped a selfie of the two of them, blade included.

Once the demon had gotten his desired picture and floated away, the blade under the boy's neck disappeared into nothingness. Steven let out a sigh of a relief as he was now out of immediate danger, for now at least. " _This will make for a nice home wallpaper. So, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, we were talking about Half Pine! Well I'm bored of talking about him, so let's move on to the other people lives you've ruined. Mainly, those Crystal Chumps that have to deal with you._ " Steven was about to counter the demon on this accusation, but Bill quickly stopped him. " _Hold it right there, Rosebud. Don't even lecture me about how those Crystal Chumps 'care about you' and 'would die for you', because we both know that a load of hot trash. Did you just forget about that time back in the day where they made a deal with me to stop from ever existing?! Here, I have the transcript of that that magical night right here!_ "

Bill then summoned up a sizeable stack of papers and threw them in the air above the young Gem. Though most of the pages rained down to the floor, Steven was still able to catch a few of the page out of the air. He glanced over them, reading over the events that the Gems had told him and the twins last summer. Though Steven had made inner peace with what the Gems had did that dreadful night, his heart still sank as he looked at the transcript, describing how the Gems made the deal with the dream demon and their varying motivations on why. " _Yeah, that thing is like twenty-five pages, believe it or not! I guess I like to go into detail with character suffering and torment in my writing, sort of like_ _ **another**_ _angsty writer I know!_ " Steven hardly paid attention to the demon, as he was too engrossed with the pages right in front of him. "They…they told me why, but…" The young Gem would be lying if he said that what the Gems did still bothered him to this day. Was Rose really that important to them that they would wish away his existence when given the chance?

" _Trust me, kid, I was surprised too how fast they took the deal. They must have REALLY wanted you out of the picture!_ " the demon taunted the boy, who was on the verge of tears. " _But I'm not done yet, Rosebud! I think it's time we bring up the person that you let down the most! Can you take a guess? Here let me give you a visual aid!_ " With another snap of the demon's fingers, Steven felt a hand land on his shoulder. The boy slowly began to look behind him, scared to see what horror the demon had summoned up this time. As he finished turning his head, Steven's eyes went wide as he looked up to the figure behind him. The smooth, white skin and bright, curly pink hair were a dead giveaway that it was none other than Rose Quartz standing right there. "M-Mom?! What are you doing he-" Before the young Gem could finish, the pink Gem suddenly grabbed him by the neck and held him to eye level. Tried his best to struggle his way out, but it seemed like his mother's grip only got tighter and tighter. Amidst his panic, Steven was able to get a good look into Rose's eyes and went pale at what he saw. They were glowing a sickly yellow hue and there were black lines where circular pupils were supposed to be. As if that wasn't terrifying enough, her eyes were full of piercing rage and scorn that seem to pierce through the young Gem's heart.

" _Boy, Rosebud,_ " Bill taunted as he floated behind the pink Gem. " _It looks like Quartzy is mad AND disappointed with you! Bet you're wondering why, huh? Well, let me put it this way without dropping a few spoilers on ya! You see Rosebud, Quartzy sacrificed a whole lot for this crummy planet. And when I say a lot, I mean a WHOLE LOT! She gave up everything so that she could protect her dumb friends and this dumb heap of dirt. But then YOU go along and just turn yourself in to those Homeworld mooks like all of that sacrifice meant nothing! Sure, you made them promise to not hurt the Earth or those Crystal Chums once they had you, but let's be real here! The minute they crushed your Gem into sparkly glitter, Yellow and Blue would've immediately went to Earth and wiped that eyesore off the star map. All of those thousands of years of loss and sacrifice, wasted over your dumb decision to 'protect' your friends. If I were Quartzy, I'd be pretty pissed off at the dumbass who did that!_ "

Steven was left speechless at what the dream demon had just told him. While turning himself over to Homeworld was the smartest decision he ever made, deep down he still liked to think that what he did was a brave, noble action to protect the ones he loved. But with how Bill put it, it sounded like he was only thinking about himself. "I-I only wanted to protect everybody. I didn't mean to…make things worse." Steven said, trying to defend his actions. But even he didn't believe what he was saying, and neither was Rose based off the anger still in her eyes. " _Aw, quit your crying, Rosebud,_ " Bill intervened. " _Because I'm here to help get rid of all of that doubt and worry! I just need a little something from you!_ " The demon lowered his hand and started to tap at the boy's gemstone. The young Gem became alarmed at the demon's request, remembering very well how the triangle was so deadest on claiming his gem. "I'm not giving you my gem, Bill! You'll never take it from me!" Bill just laughed at the boy's outburst. " _Oh don't worry, kid! I'm not gonna rip your gem out of your gut!_ " the dream demon said as he floated away from him. " _Quarty's gonna do that for me!_ "

The boy's fear was reignited as looked over to Rose again to see that she had her sword in her hand, pointed directly at his stomach. Steven began to struggle even harder to try and escape the pink Gem's grasp, but she was too strong and still held him tightly in place. " _Yeah, I thought it would be more appropriate if Quartzy here did the honors here since you were the one that almost screwed up her plans! Plus, I'd hate to get my hands all bloody, gotta be a little bit hygienic, you know? Let this be a lesson to you, Rosebud: I ALWAYS get what I'm owed!_ " The triangle then pulled out a bucket of popcorn and continued. " _Alright, you can go ahead now, Quartzy! Remember to cut really deep in there!_ " The pink Gem gave a dark grin as she pulled her arm back to get ready to plunge the blade deep in her son's stomach. Steven could only give a pleading look to his mother to not go through with this horrendous act, but all he received was the same look of anger in his mother's eyes. The young Gem let out a scream as Rose's blade began to move toward him.

* * *

Steven woke up to the sound of his own screams and a mighty roar from Lion. The boy immediately shot up from his bed and was on the verge of hyperventilating. After a quick scan of the room, it looked like he was back in the safety of his room. He then looked over to Lion, who had a concerned look in his eyes for his master. Steven then realize that it must have been Lion who woke him up from his night terror. After taking a moment to calm down a bit, Steven rushed over to embrace the pink feline. "Oh Lion! Thank you, thank you so much for waking me up!" The pink beast gave a content purr from his master's gratitude to him. "Bill came to me," Steven continued. "He made Mom almost stab me and cut out my gem! I-I was so scared! I thought I was going to lose my gem! I…" The boy went silent as he began to remember what the dream demon had told him. From how he didn't actually saved Dipper from Stonemason, to how he almost ruined what his mother had fought and sacrifice so much for. Steven buried his face deeper in Lion's mane.

"I messed up really bad."


End file.
